Inheritance and Fate
by gennastar
Summary: Harry starts Hogwarts.  Neville becomes Harry's best independent buddy.  No pairings yet.
1. Chapter 1

Preface

I have been reading Harry Potter fanfiction for a little while. There are a few things I really like: Harry Potter goes wild, berserk, or completely out of character; Harry finds out he is some kind cross species (i.e. veela, man capable of bearing children, breeding bull); or Harry takes magic straight out of this world whether it is a parallel universe, space, or time travel. I have read farcical parodies and even read some mary sue kind of macho man fiction. The range and depth of Harry Potter fanfiction really stands to salute the author, J.K. Rowlings, as a work which engages the imagination.

I decided to try my hand at the story because I hoped I could do something with the potential of having so many magical beings spread across a muggle world. My main question was: what would it be like if the muggle world was a foil for human potential? Magicals lost the way toward discovery because they've allowed the muggle threat to overtake their innate curiosity and to forget about the possibilities. Instead of man against nature, what if the Harry Potter universe was framed differently: magical feats versus muggle feats against nature. If magicals can do many or all things, why haven't they tackled space or teraforming the planet, or reviving the power civilization has already produced?

Fanfiction cannon has given me a jumping off point. There are many details I will and have played fast and loose with. I have thoroughly appreciated the reader critiques. I have answered a few of them. The best suggestion has been finding a beta. I have reached out to a few. I have received a response. I hope you will notice a change.

I have done some revising already. With my first chapters, I did not like the length of each. They were set between 2200 to 3400 words. I don't necessarily like to read an author who gives me a drabble as a chapter. I thought I was short changing you by writing so little at one clip. I have combined the original chapters so that most are at least 5000 words. My later chapters should be at least that much. Since I don't write that much in one setting it means I am using the update feature to fill in the content. If you notice as you receive alerts that one chapter does not flow into the next, you will probably want to go back and read/re-read the prior chapter. I think it is a cheat to include the last paragraph of the previous chapter. Since it's a written story, I am assuming each reader is capable of returning to the previous chapter(s) to reread parts as needed. I don't want any reader to think there is less than 5000 words of new content in each chapter.

I am also not a big fan of haphazard flashbacks. They are a necessary evil, but I don't think it makes sense to keep switching back and forth. It becomes annoying after a while. If you want to change a portion of the past, I think you have to go back and rethink a plot point.

asks each writer to review their stories and do the basics proofreading and revision. I will continue to edit as mistakes are pointed out or as new ideas occur to me. I will not fundamentally change the gist of any of the sections already written. If for some reason, my writing takes a new or different turn upon further reflection I will do what I've noticed other writers do - create a new story based off a change in one or two facts or situation- and leave the original story untouched.

As Harry's environment grows and changes becoming more alternate universe, I will try to stay somewhere in the realm of fantastical belief. I like reading SUPER Harry, but I don't think I will be able to write him. Thanks for reading my ideas.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer

I am not making any profit from this story. I am learning how to follow an idea to its completion.

I appreciate the spark Ms. Rowlings gave the rest of us. I haven't been this excited about magical fiction since I was a child reading the Chronicles of Narnia. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe had the same effect on me as the Harry Potter series.

I also am thrilled by the fanfiction that has arose from Harry Potter. Some of you are more creative than the published fiction works I have read. Others have take plots with/without smut to that next level. How many of you really would know what to do with a harem if you had one? Your fantasies are awe inspiring.

Thanks for letting so many aspiring writers sample your original work.


	3. Chapter 3

Cast of NEW Characters

Ian MacKenzie ….. Grace MacKenzie Diggory's head of house.

Leit ….. owner of Leit's Transport

Wyatt ….. owner of Wyatt's Luggage and Upholstery Equipment

Gale McKenzie ….. Ministry Worker

Muggleborn, Wife of Ian McKenzie

Grace Diggory ….. Experimental Charms Mistress

Head of Research and Development for the McZenzie Family Magic

Amos Diggory's Wife

Cedric Diggory's Mother, Greatest Fan.

Rose Rosier Evans ….. Lily and Petunia's mother

Grimholde ….. Master Dwarf

Chief Architect for Underground Caves, Caverns, Basements and Sublevel Living Units

Beverly ….. Enchantress

Matchmaker, Family Magic

Owner, Flask of Agape

Chalice of Love?,

Enchanter's Respite,

Biter's full of spite

Rattler ….. Goblin

Account Manager for Hagrid

Mac Delight ….. magical artifact

Leit Transport manufactures

Stroder ….. Method of copying and/or transferring written text

Asgard Potter ….. Harry Potter's first forebear

Responsible for the Legacy box challenges

Leslie Warrington ….. Class of 1975, Scheduling

Former Headgirl, Ravenclaw

Potions Mistress

Headmistress Anise ….. Derringer's Bistro of Culinary Arts Trinidad/Tobaggo

Assistant Headmaster Artie ….. Derringer's Bistro of Culinary Arts

Deiter ….. Regent, of Weogulf Clan

Todd McMillen ….. Former Headboy, Ravenclaw

Hemlot Potter ….. The Potter heir who forsook Asgard's legacy

Adonae ….. Hagrid's mate

Argile ….. Harry Potter's head elf

Reference set (books) ….. ret·ri·bu·tion (rtr-byshn)

_n._

**1. **Something justly deserved; recompense.

**2. **Something given or demanded in repayment, especially punishment.

**3. **_Theology_ Punishment or reward distributed in a future life based on performance in this one.

Rancor ….. New goblin assigned to Harry Potter

Xi Chang ….. Cho's mother.

Avalon School of Sorcery (Canada) ….. Hermione Granger is going to this school for her 1st year

Anita Vance ….. Member of Hogwart's Board of Governors

Hamra Taub ….. instructor at Medini Herbology, Alchemy, and Potion School of Magicks

Medini Herbology, Alchemy, and Potion

School of Magicks (Saudi Arabia) ….. George and Fred Weasley are going to this school for their 3rd year

Ruslan Peterovich Popov ….. instructor at Kashchei Chest Master School of Wizardry

Kashchei Chest Master

School of Wizardry (St. Petersburg, Russia) ….. Ron Weasley is going to this school for his 1st year.

Sarai ….. Weasley house elf

Whitney ….. Potter elf who works as new librarian at Hogwarts for Harry

Ms. Headmistress Sudsey ….. School - Delacroix Missionary Magicks located in New Orleans, Louisiana USA

Tatum O'Connor ….. One year scholarship student using Harry Potter 's status as Boy Who Lived

Healer Francis ….. muggle raised and has been working on duel treatments for muggle and magical patients

Janus ….. governess Potter house elf on loan to Tatum

Theresa, Abby, and Juanita ….. work for Harry Potter

Sort through his mail

Forward any interesting tidbits he needs to know.

Former Minister Thurston ….. Chairperson of the Potter Trust

Marcus Finney ….. muggleborn lawyer who is handling Harry Potter's inheritance with Gringotts and protecting his reputation.


	4. Chapter 4

Looking in the mirror, it dawned on Harry how bad a horrific situation was. He came to the magic world to escape his mother's blood family, only to find out he had his father's blood to blame for this craptastic choice.

"So you are telling me, I should have received notice before now."

"Not exactly, Mr. Potter. Your founding Potter placed certain conditions on his inheritance." Griphook reviewed the form again to see what language a muggle raised wizard would need to understand what was currently going on.

"Alright, can you recap the entire thing?"

"I pulled you away from Hagrid because there are explicit instructions for all Potters' heirs. You've already missed two benchmarks. If I had not brought you in here now, you would have lost most if not all the money your forefathers put aside for you. You also have some tremendous responsibilities along with the money and the property, but if you want OUT of depending on your current living family…"

"I'm a male, how can I possibly fulfill those outstanding debts to those other families?"

"That is the point of the first two benchmarks: The first test at eight years of age would have tested your understanding of the Potter legacy. The second test at onset of puberty would have examined your fluids to determine whether you could cover the obligations of inheritance. Now, you have to rush through both tests before you leave here today."

"Can you take Hagrid to his vault and explain this to him?"

"We pride ourselves at Gringotts in keeping our clients' confidentiality. Hagrid can know if you tell him. We can keep Hagrid from leaving the bank until you are finished with your testing. Is that acceptable to you?"

"I agree."

What followed was beyond what the magically uninformed could understand. Harry had no idea what his agreement meant for himself and the next 7 years of Hogwarts.

"I have passed the test with limited information. What can you tell me about these debts?"

"You have a puzzle to complete which will explain everything else to you. Gringotts will expect you to produce proof to clear your first Potter debt. At that time, you will receive the next release of funds.

Thanks for coming into our bank today. Since you have not received our owls and for the last three years and did not know of your trust vault, we are going to give you a ledger so we can communicate with you for all your banking needs. The ledger has a wallet, instructions for all its parts, a regular account statement section, and a journal for discussing our services. Remember you should come back in before the school year ends. If you can't rely on your school authorities to bring you into the bank or your muggle relatives aren't trustworthy, Gringotts will send a representative out to collect you. Please keep May 1st in mind to contact the bank.

I suggest you contact a Muggleborn attorney to find out who is tampering with your post. The Muggleborn could explain how to receive mail through Muggle and owl post without alerting the mail thief that you know what they are doing. Ask the shopkeepers today any and all questions you have about the wizarding world."

Harry walked out of the private client area of the bank. He sought out Hagrid and found him leaning on the entryway post. The Goblins guarding the front entrance were watching him, but did not ask him to move.

"Harry, I am sorry I couldn't take you to your vault on your first day in the wizarding world. I am also on Hogwarts business. Rattler told me Griphook got you squared away. Do you need anything else at the bank?"

"No. I just need to get the supplies on this list. Can I get you something? You don't look so good."

"I don't feel so good either. I'm going to point you in the right direction for clothes, books, and potions ingredients. I'll go to the Leaky Cauldron so I can get myself sorted out. If we get separated, I will look for you in those 3 places Harry."

Harry watched Hagrid walk away from Gringotts. As far as he knew, there were more than 3 places he needed to go to get the supplies.

_Why would Hogwarts send a professor who wasn't going to really show him around?_

"Doesn't matter. I've always had to make a way for myself. Today will be no different."

A boy approached him from the side. "I don't mean to eavesdrop, but you can come with me and my cousin. I'm waiting for him to finish up inside. When he comes out we can start at the top of your list and go from there. How's that?"

"I am Harry. It works for me. If you help me with the things I don't know here, I will help you carry what you collect today. Fair?

"Sure. I am Cedric."

A tall man stepped out of Gringotts and met the boys at the bottom steps.

"I didn't know you invited anyone else along Ced." He turned to Harry, asking "Do you have any shops you want to make sure you go to?"

"Yes, I want to go to the owl post office. Gringotts told me to get some special supplies. Will we have time to do that?"

"I'm Ian. I'm taking Cedric to get his first portkey. It is a rite of passage for each MacKenzie. Since I am the last of our line, I want to make sure Cedric knows what our contribution has been." By this time, we walked pass the stationary shop and the place with musical wind chimes outside. Ian and Cedric were leading him away from the Leaky Cauldron where Hagrid went. The sign called it, Blues Alley.

"I'm Harry. Maybe you can teach me some things too. Do you mind?"

"Sure. We will duck into Leit's Transport, get the key and start on your list."

The shop keeper met us at the door smiling at Ced. "Today's the big day?"

Ian looked at Ced. When Ced didn't respond, he told Leit "I want the package deluxe deal that all MacKenzies receive."

Harry walked around the shop where the booths were. Leit stepped into the shop's storage area. Harry saw a table filled with magazines, books and Transportation keys. He looked through the booth to figure out what this place sold or even how it was used.

Ian called Harry over to sit with he and Cedric. "Since Ced invited you with us today, I want you to see what my family is known for."

Leit brought back a jewelry box.

"Okay, Cedric this is a multi-pack transport. This device is a Mac Delight. I only have access to them because your great granddad patented the initial design. He gain my family exclusive rights to make or sell these devices to light families. You and your family will continue to receive residuals from this device. I haven't sold many since Harry Potter defeated Voldermort, but I'm the reason so many light families survived in the last blood war. Your great grandad's idea allowed a few to escape Grindenwald. Your legacy will benefit many for an age. You should be proud of your line."

Ian put his hand on Cedric's shoulder and smiled at him. "Do you know now why you are here today?

"You want me to know why there are only two MacKenzie's left?"

"Yes. Your mother and I are all that survived. I know you just finished your third year, but Hogwarts won't teach you what you need to know to survive or protect your family. I want you to work in this shop for the rest of this summer so Leit can teach you how we both made it through the last two wars.

When I saw you speaking to Harry on the steps and you invited him with us, I thought we should offer him the same chance."

Cedric looked at Leit, "What time do you want me to come into the shop?"

"Anytime after 10 pm."

Harry pulled Ian to the side to ask him a couple of questions about Mac Delight.

"What does it do? How much does it cost?"

"The Mac Delight supplies portkeys in the first drawer. The second drawer diagrams how to erect a portal between two places. It has the chalk, the location markers, and the runes needed so you can journey between two distant points. The third drawer shows you how to enchant items big or small to fly to specific destinations. The glass portion of the jewelry box is a decoy so no one but you knows what it is.

Harry, it is an investment cost. Hogwarts costs 4,000 galleons a year. Most wizards at the ministry make about 350 to 500 galleons a month. This device is 1000 galleons. Cedric is coming back to learn how to fully use Mac Delight. In order to enchant bigger items, find locations outside of Britain, or create international port keys; you have to come back and buy other things. Cedric will learn the mechanics of the device because as an heir he has to learn how to improve it. Each one of us MacKenzies have placed our personal stamp on how it operates."

"Is this something that will violate the underage wizardry law?"

"No, it is not traceable. The ministry has nothing to do with our family magics. You know about it because you saved our lives-Grace Diggory and mine. This gives me the opportunity to repay my wizard's debt and save your life one day.

"I don't understand."

"Each pureblood family owes you a life debt who stood against Voldermort. He eliminated entire lines in the 1970s. You put a stop to it. Your mother and father paid the ultimate cost. The reason we survived is Voldermort and his Death Eaters disbanded before the last MacKenzies were killed. They killed over 45 of my family members in 8 years: men, women, and children.

You will find a list of life debts in Hogwarts' Library. There is a wall panel next to the Restricted section. Place your heir's ring next to the painting of Merlin. Most pureblood families know to walk directly into room from their common room. Since Dumbledore has kept you under wraps for 10 years, I want to make sure you know the legacy of the Potters. The number of life debts owed to you will be contained in that room."

"After today, can I write you and ask you more questions about this?"

Leit and Cedric finished their discussion. Ian shook Leit's hand and pulled Cedric to the side. Harry approached Leit.

"I want to buy Mac Delight. Can you sell me an instruction manual or a guide to magical transport?"

"I can and I will. I need your money, a vow, and your blood to make this work."

"How does a vow work? Why do you need my blood?

"In order to sell you MacKenzie family magic, I need your vow that you will take their property and not make yourself rich from their work. The ministry makes a profit from family magics by taking away the licensing deal. I need your blood to seal away the promise in this jewelry box. It will look like a regular keepsake to anyone I haven't cleared to know the secret.

I will sell you a book which will make life as a young wizard much easier. It includes a self help guide to runes and other magic you can practice over the summer. If you have questions or can improve on it, owl me."

Harry bought the device, the guide, and some of the books on the display case he saw when he first came into Leit's Transport.

The Owl Post was in Cannon Alley. Harry bought a year's subscription service after Ian told him he should have received post from other light families trying to negotiate their life debts. Harry received ivory mail box that automatically shrunk when it was not in use. He could send out any post he needed and his correspondents had a place to send any requests or information.

Ian and Ced took Harry to Wyatt's Luggage and Upholstery Equipment in Knockturn Alley for his special needs. Wyatt sold furniture and kits to pull refurbish poorly used items. Harry asked Ced to look for bunk material for beds while he directed Ian to find equipment for desks. He approached Wyatt on his own because he didn't want anyone to know all of the things he needed.

"Can you help me outfit a four bedroom house?"

"I can. Why don't you go to Kitty Alley to get all the furniture you want? It will cost you more in my shop."

"Ian said you specialize starter kits for furniture makers. I am underage and the tools I need to use can't have active magic in them. If I want to furnish my own place, I have to build it up from scratch with no active magic. Can you help me or direct me to another shop?"

"It will cost you 1000 galleons to get a starter kit, special instruction, supplies/material, upholder equipment, and the trade secrets connected with building/outfitting/redoing a four bedroom house. Can you afford it?

"If you throw in series of model homes and businesses that I practice taking apart and put back together along with the materials Ian and Ced are collecting for me, then you have a deal."

Ian and Ced brought up the materials I asked them to fetch. They told me they'd meet me outside the door when I finished the purchase.

Wyatt wanted the same blood, vow, and galleon deal I gave Leit. It must be how they do things here in the magic world.

Ced and Ian dropped me off at Rudy's Trunk store. It had been 3 hours since he left Gringotts. I wondered whether I would need to catch the London Rail to get back to Surrey.

Ian recommended I make another investment purchase before Hagrid returned. He steered me away from the standard trunk for Hogwarts.

"Harry, you just bought 3 items that will force you to use an unlimited amount of space. Assuming you get the remainder of your list, a standard trunk won't hold all of your purchases much less last through 7 years of Hogwarts. Get a commercial trunk that is designed for a traveling professional. Most of the items in which Rudy make students pay extra are included in a commercial trunk plus you can come back and add features you need as your career grows and changes. Why pay twice for something you are going to need for a lifetime?

"Done." Harry asked Rudy what it would cost to get a periodic update on the commericial trunk before he decided.

"Harry, would you consider paying full price up front with a contract to update features over time?"

"No, you or I could die before it is time for an update."

"How about if I include instructions on how to update the separate compartments and you come into the shop if you have questions or you have problems refining any updates you set?"

"I will pay full price only if you include periodic updates so long as we both shall live, you provide me with an instruction manual that explicitly details how you layer different compartments on top the standard format you've laid out here, and you allow me to use this information to charm my bookbags, briefcase, suitcases, grocery bag, or any other storage item I may need or use."

"That is worth far more than full price."

"You will have my blood, my vow, and my money. I won't compete with you or use your family magics to make a profit. I will even increase your sale price by 2/3rds."

"I owe your family a life debt. You forgive me my debt and it is yours for no money, but the vow and blood stand."

"Since I don't know what the debt concerns, you give me the trunk and manual. I give you my vow and blood along with the 2/3rds price. When and if I look up the debt and find that it is an even exchange, you refund me the cost of the trunk and/or release me from the vow and the blood seal. Deal?"

"It is only a deal if the even exchange cancels the debt."

"We can settle this now if you tell me how you incurred the debt."

"I can't tell you directly. Get back to me when you do know. For now, pay full price. I will let the manual go with a vow and blood with our joint promise to re-examine this exchange."

"Done."

Harry thanked Ian and Ced for teaching him as much as they had. Harry promised to keep in touch. Even though Harry spent twice as muuch as he planned without getting most of his Hogwarts supplies, he figured he had learned as much as he could absorb in 4 or 5 hours.

Hagrid came into Rudy's trunk as all three were leaving. Hagrid thanked Ced and Ian for watching after Harry.

"I haven't finished this list yet, Hagrid. Will you bring me back before school starts?"

"I will pick you up in two weeks." Hagrid handed Harry a catalogue of crafts and services in Diagon Alley. He also showed Harry how to catch the Knight Bus just in case Harry wanted to bring the Dursleys with him to Diagon Alley.

After he left Hagrid, the problem remained how would inherit the Potter legacy and how he was going to pay Potter debts as a male. Harry started reading the manuals I had received, maybe the answer would come to him.


	5. Chapter 5

2 - Harry Listens to His Elders

"Guess who I met today outside of Gringotts?"

"The new draft pick for Quidditch, Victor Krum."

"No, but that would have been just as great."

"Is that a hint? Just as great as Victor Krum? Cho Chang, right?"

"No Cho would have been three times better than Harry Potter."

"This girl is better than Victor Krum, your quidditch hero and Harry Potter, the boy who saved this family from ruin?" Grace dropped what she was doing and gave her son her undivided attention. "If Ms. Chang means this much to you, it is time your Dad and I extend a marriage contract to the Chang family, son."

"It's time to offer, Mom."

"I thought you'd at least be of age before you knew it was time. What makes you so sure?"

"I did the marriage compatibility test before the end of term. I know I was supposed to wait until we discussed my obligations as a MacKenzie and a Diggory. I knew at the beginning of this year. After I lost focus on anything else around me whenever she was there, I realized the compatibility test would only confirm what I could see for myself.

The real problem began when I noticed other Ravenclaws trying to force their attentions on her. I cursed two different boys for threatening her personal space. You told me before I left for Hogwarts if I ever was forced to act to protect an unmarried woman/girl that I needed to check the compatibility test before I was forced to duel anyone. The time had come. I did what I had to do. Now, you both need to find out what the Changs will accept for her hand."

"As soon as Amos comes home, we will floo the Changs. So who did you see in Diagon Alley?"

"I thought we answered that before, we discussed Cho. Harry Potter. Hagrid left Harry Potter on the stairs of Gringotts on his first trip to Diagon Alley. Ian and I took him with us to Leit. We ran a few errands together and we left Harry in Hagrid's care 3 hours later."

"I am going to owl Minerva and find out why Hagrid is doing orientation for muggleborn and muggle raised wizards. They need to do better. Did you tell Harry you'd accompany him when he came back to shop or that we owe him and we want to repay our debt?"

"No. Ian canceled his debt. Wyatt is on the verge of canceling his. You and I need to figure out a way to explain all this to him. He made sure to only ask questions related to what was in front of him. I'm sure when he has a chance to learn more about our world he will have a large number of questions including life debts."

He is supposed to owl before we go back to Hogwarts. If you want to write him an explanation, I will include it."

Ian left Diagon Alley and went to the Ministry. Gale, in the midst of the backlog of pureblood complaints against muggleborns, did not notice Ian entering her department.

:"When will you be ready to go home?"

Gale scowled at Ian. "I told you that I don't need you to pick me up from work everyday. How long have we had this same talk?"

"Three years."

"Well?"

"Let me put it in a different way, so you understand it differently and we won't have this same 'talk' week after week, hmmm?"

"If you can convince me of this, I'll give you what you have asked me for."

"You want to work, right?"

"Yes."

"You want to work on your passion?"

"Yes."

"You don't want to work on MacKenzie magics because it is rubbish pureblood traditions, right?"

"Of course."

"So I had to agree to muggleborn sensibilities to marry you, right?" He raised his hand and ticked off each point. "Women's liberation?" "Self-determination for each individual family member? "You rejecting all my notions of what hearth and home mean so our relationship can mature over time like your parents?"

"Yes to all of that. We've been over this already. What is new in this that will make me understand?"

"In our marriage contract, I agreed that you would do all your heart's desire in exchange for what and under what circumstances?"

"Like I wouldn't remember! I am not going to lose my magic for failing to comply with those terms. You have to fulfill all your individual life debts, begin to clear away some of the antiquated obligations from the MacKenzie family, and have the resources necessary for children. What does this have to do with my job at the ministry bustling through pureblood barriers to muggleborns?"

"You give me children. If you are unwilling or unable, I can and I will find alternative means to replenish the MacKenzie family to pre-war numbers, correct?"

"Yes. It is not as if you will be able to get Harry Potter to accept your service for a life debt. He won't be an adult for another 7 or 8 years. It is plenty of time to have our place set up for children, Ian."

"Our time is now. We are a love match, Gale. Forty five MacKenzies died before 1981. I have four ways of discharging my 'antiquated pureblood obligations:'

ask you to individually bear 45 children

get at least 9 women to bear me 5 children a piece in 10 year and a day ceremonies

blood adopt 45 orphaned children

request Cedric, Grace and Amos Diggory bear 45 MacKenzies

or some combination in between.

I ran into Harry today. I've sought every other holder of all my debts big and small. I am even. This is the start of those obligations you read through everyday. There is no way you can work in this office and not know that I will do whatever is required to get this undeniable yolk off my neck."

Gale fainted dead away. Ian went to Gale's department chair, explained to her that he had a family emergency, and asked her to excuse Gale from her Ministry schedule in exchange for all the overtime Gale had worked. Gale would do all of her Ministry related tasks from the comfort of home. Ian collected an onyx interdepartmental owl post box, set up a work from home duty schedule, and advised Maddy, his house elf, to collect all of Gale's work before the close of business.

Maddy knew exactly what was required. Ian showed her precisely how much work Gale had produced in 3 years that went unnoticed or unacknowledged by the Ministry. Gale's new home office would include several muggleborn who agreed with Gale's politics. The ministry would not pay for any of their work. This team of muggleborns had an obligation to the MacKenzie family to discharge and he was collecting his debt by getting them to fulfill Gale's dreams.

Ian had decided Gale would need to learn how to _delegate_. She would now have to learn to set the agenda and chart out the future. She wouldn't accept any help prior to this because she thought women's liberation meant: DO EVERYTHING FOR AND BY YOURSELF. Ian read extensively about these muggle movements so he knew how to equip himself for their future family before he married Gale. Ian also knew that every work that Gale did to equalize treatment of muggleborns would have to be undercover and unremarked. He had read his family journals extensively so he could try to pinpoint the reason Voldermort chose to exterminate his entire line. Their legacy would be upheld, but he would do things smarter this time.

Harry spent 4 days straight going over his Hagrid Day of Fate. The first thing he did when he came home is to figure out how much more money he had at his disposal. Gringotts gave him the money meant for his 8th (500 galleons); 10th (2000 galleons); and now 11th (5000 galleons) birthdays. The ledger laid out how much he would have access to on May 1st, but did not give him an overview of all the Potter assets. The money from Hogwarts was taken from his trust vault, but he didn't have direct access to it.

Harry decoded the first two steps of his Potter legacy puzzle box. The first Potter had worked his way out of tenancy to a muggle lord for a period of 20 years. Asgrad Potter watch this landholder's sons pillage and plunder that nobleman's wealth without knowing how defend what they didn't work to gain or adding to the estate. The landholder was part of a holy order of clerics who used faith as a means to dominate the will of the neighboring town. His sisters were sold off to pay off his mother's debt. His father had been killed in the crusades and he was too young to defend and fight for his family.

The second step of his Potter legacy puzzle box were games of logic and common sense. He was too young in the modern muggle era to be placed in Asgard's position, but he had to reason through the choices which faced Asgard. If he made poor choices, he lost access to his ticket from the Dursleys. Each day the Potter puzzle gave him new and different scenarios to reason through. He had 6 months to begin scoring correctly. If he didn't take it seriously this ancestor, Asgard, ensured no unworthy Potters would diminish the fruit of his life's work.

Harry was frustrated as anyone who had freedom dangled in front of his face, but he could not reach his inheritance yet. In four days, he had experienced four Potter legacy puzzle failures of his own making. His cousin, his aunt, nor his uncle had anything to do with his failure. It was all his fault. As a consequence of his puzzle failures, Harry reviewed the introduction to underaged wizardry for ways he could win with less than 3000 galleons remaining to his legacy.

Harry decided the glass was half full. 3000 galleons beat what he had when Hagrid took his first step into Harry's life.

In reviewing the acts he could get away with, he found a Druid ritual that gave everyone justice for their actions. After the Dursleys went to bed, Harry carved runes in the bottom of the kitchen table and chairs. Harry needed a win. The Potter legacy may be beyond his reach, but there was going to be reckoning between himself and the Dursleys.

"Boy! Where is my breakfast? It is 7 a.m. I am sitting in front of a placemat with no breakfast."

"Today we are going to eat together like a family, Uncle Vernon."

"A family, did you say family?"

"Sure. You, Aunt Petunia, Dudley, and me eating together for one meal before Hagrid returns to take a report of the changes you've made since his last visit."

"What!"

"Yeah, remember what he said when he gave Dudley the pig tail? He'd like to see a great big Muggle like you…" Harry trailed off so that Vernon could fill in the blanks. Hagrid had said no such thing. What Vernon did not know about Hagrid could only help Harry.

"What is it you want us to do? Eat together."

"Only for this morning."

"Okay. You bless the table, Mr. Family Man."

Petunia and Dudley joined the table after Harry had set the places. Once Harry sat down, he held their hands in a circle.

Harry invoked the ritual phrase: "Magic, I call you to judge between them and me. If I am found lacking, punish me. If they are found wanting, redeem them for me."

Harry knew the accounting for all their behavior would take them from birth to this moment. The ritual described in his book suggested it would feel like days, months, and years; but to the outside world it is but a moment.

Lily Evans Potter took the form of judgement. Lily and Petunia's mother, Rose Rosier Evans, stood as a defense against punishment. Magic was the decider in chief. The entire Dursley contingent was overwhelmed with Harry's unbroken spirit, but in the final calculation it was the teachings Rose Evans instilled in her children which made Magic rule the way it did.

Harry won his independence from any Dursley action. Lily addressed Harry specifically.

"Son, you have done well today. I have watched you suffer for 10 years without being able to change your fate. This house is yours. The inheritance from the Rosiers goes to the males of the family. Mom, Tuney, nor I could direct the funds in this family. We only received a dowry each. My father received the benefit of that dowry the same as Vernon has benefitted from our magical kin. Once he rejected what they were and what we are, he stole Dudley's inheritance from him. The sole reason the Dursleys have retained this house is because it worked toward your good: health and upkeep.

Rose stepped forward to plead her case to her grandson. "I didn't raise Petunia like this, baby. I have only worked for what's best for my family. I wanted to have magic of my own, but that wasn't meant for me. I accepted that life would be different for me than all my brothers.

I left London for muggle schooling when I turned 17. It took me more than a decade to be educated enough to function in this world. I taught your aunt all about the magical world. When Lily received her letter and Tuney didn't she began to hate her for it. I was killed before Lily went to Hogwarts. Tuney knew my family's history and chose not to tell Lily about her family. You have a greater inheritance on the Rosier side than you know.

Practice everyday. This ritual has served you well for today, but in order to inherit from my family your understanding of Old Magic must be on par with the purebloods. This book is only the tip of the iceberg. The Rosiers don't inherit until they are 14. Make use of the next 3 years because it is a ritual which will release you.

Magic stepped forward and unbound the house. It left an encyclopedic reference set. The set contained the grievance, punishment, and redemption required for each Dursley. Their collective furniture was moved to the front yard of 4 Privet Drive. A step by step guide left in Vernon, Petunia, and Dudley's luggage.

Magic gave Harry his own reference set for his failings, his future pursuits, and its expectations of his talents. Magic filled Harry's house with all of Lily and James' missing possessions.

In real time, this justice ritual took less than 2 minutes but it changed Harry's path even more than the Hagrid Day of Fate. He wondered what was next.

3 - Decisions, decisions, decisions

Hagrid sat in his hut disgusted with himself and Dumbledore. For over 60 years, he was first Hogwarts student and then Keeper of Keys and Ruler of All Grounds.

_Where had all this gone wrong for him?_

Before he picked up that package-a week ago-the Goblins must have done something to him. Hagrid needed answers. He had been sick ever since that visit.

He was sick enough to leave Harry at Gringotts. Hagrid went directly through the Leaky Cauldron to St. Mungo's Hospital. The healers ran a series of tests to narrow down causes to his sickness.

His Gringotts visit somehow broke down a potion addiction from a potion induced imperious. The healers had wanted to get Madame Pomfrey to continue his cure at Hogwarts. Instead he asked them to take an Oath of Silence on all discussions related to his health and his visits to St. Mungos. The healers referred him to several other private healers and hospitals across the world.

Four hours later, his head finally cleared up enough to return to Gringotts, ask about his vault and discover he had an inheritance of his own. His father, Hagrid whom the Keeper of Keys was named after, was known as a scholar on giants. The Department of Mysteries took over Hagrid's giant research when he left Britain with Hagrid's mother, the giantess Fridwulfa.

The first thing Hagrid found confusing was he had two separate memories of the same event. Prior to Hagrid's expulsion at Hogwarts, his mother and father had left Britain. The second set of memories was Hagrid's father died at twelve. He had no memory of going to his father's or mother's funeral. In fact, he didn't remember the Goblins contacting him about his inheritance. Hagrid didn't even have to settle his father's estate or pack away his belongings. It was disturbing.

When Hagrid returned to the teller line, he asked for Rattler. He didn't wait long. Rattler led him to a conference room.

"What did you give me earlier today?"

"A potion cleanser."

"Why?"

"Your inheritance. We have asked you each visit for 50 years to come in for a statement of your accounts. As an adult, we can't force you to acknowledge or receive your balances or visit your vaults. If you don't do something soon, you will lose your accounts to the ministry.

We gave you a potion cleanser because we think your mind has been tampered with. You were under Ministry control when you went to Azkaban. We think they tried to cheat you out of your vaults.

You haven't even checked your balance from your Hogwarts' paycheck. Fifty years is a long time not to review your account, don't you think?"

"I have a vault."

"Yes. I've discussed this matter with you every time you've come to the bank."

"What have I done?"

"You've promised to return, but you are usually here on Hogwarts' business. I've also sent you owls with no response."

"What do I have in my vault?"

"You have 3 vaults."

"I should only have one vault, right? My account from Hogwarts?"

"Yes. You have money from Hogwarts. You also have your father's research and your legacy from Britain's giants."

"Giants left Britain with Fridwulfa. What money or possessions did they have?"

"No. Giants have not left Britain. Gringotts is not _just_ a wizard's bank, Hagrid.

The Giants have plenty. They have been waiting for the monarchy to ascend to their throne. The interim years after Fridwulfa abdicated have been difficult for the Giants. You need to release their funds so they can continue their life here in Britain."

"What!"

"The little people, as Giants call the rest of us, tried to hunt down and displace the British clans. Fridwulfa contracted Gringotts to ward Giant territory to keep the wizards and muggles away. She also insured your clan would be able to exist as they have throughout time by leaving plenty of livestock and wilderness areas for the Giants to explore and tame.

The problem is your clan wants to merge with several other European tribes through marriages, businesses, and adoption in some cases. They haven't been able to act because you haven't taken up your responsibility. You were supposed to liaison to the little folk.

Why haven't you fulfilled your role?

The drifters were involved in the last wizard blood war. The Giants have continued to remove themselves from contact from wizards, but have left half wizards available to the wizarding world.

When will you take up your position of trust for your people?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

"That is _the problem_, Hagrid. I will take you to your vaults, but you need to come back here to release the funds of Fridwulfa's clan, your heritage.

The rest of that day was a blur of activity in Hagrid's vault. He had spent the next few days finding a property to live separate and apart from Hogwarts.

Gringotts warded his new property from wizards, muggles, and anyone else who had bad intent. He sat in the hut in Hogwarts trying to figure out what he had to show for his time at Hogwarts. He didn't have a clue, but he knew where to start looking.

Day 8 since The Hagrid Day of Fate

A bubble map of options and choices he could make lined Harry's dining room. He used his Gringott's ledger to determine whether any of his money making possibilities made sense.

Griphook said he would answer any questions about his accounts, so he asked. He figured Griphook was on the other side of the ledger and vetted each idea honestly. If Griphook told him it cost more than 3000 galleons, he torpedoed it because it would put him in the deficit. Harry had already lived with nothing. He wasn't interested in returning to that state.

While he lived at Hogwarts during the year, Harry thought his property should make him money. He ran the following conversation by Griphook:

Harry: _I have property in muggle London with a portal to Diagon Alley to rent. How much will it cost me to get Gringotts to ward 4 Privet Drive?_

Griphook: _What kind of wards are you looking for?_

Harry: _I read wards can block theft, bad intent, fire, bugs, and destruction. What else do you offer and/or recommend?_

Griphook: _The ones you list will cost 250 galleons to install. The yearly upkeep is 25 galleons._

Harry: _Could I include this cost in rents?_

Griphook: _If I answer that, you will need to hire Gringotts for rental management._

Harry: _I will take that as a yes. Do Dwarves still build underground living spaces?_

Griphook: _Yes._

Harry: _Do you have contact information for Dwarf builders?_

Griphook: _We can give you a good Dwarven builder for a fee. Our referral is a guarantee their work is above reproach. If they fail, we recover the cost for that initial fee._

Harry: _How much will they charge to build a dwelling?_

Griphook: _For 4 Privet Drive?_

Harry: _I have two properties. My parents' house and 4 Privet Drive._

Griphook: _Both will be 1000 galleons. The Dwarves will put together a basement sized cavern space._

Harry: _Is that priced by the number of feet underground or carving out the space?_

Griphook: _It is priced by the dwarves carving out the initial space. Once they clear out the space, you wizard are the one that determine how many feet you need. _

_Dwarves stabilize the above ground structure so it doesn't sink. If you want 100 feet of space underground, the Dwarves set up lines identifying what is there. Muggle sewer, water, power/electrical, oil/gas, or any other structural composition doesn't change their ability to set the space up. _

_They've delved deep into the earth and have been living there for more than a few millennium. When they come don't insult them by doubting their tunneling capability. If you do, they won't do the work._

Harry: _Do elves extend power, water, and sewer lines?_

Griphook: _It is included and assumed._

Harry: _When can they come out?_

Griphook: _Today. They can complete both today._

Harry: _Will you come with them?_

_I want you to come and sell me on Gringotts property management services while the Dwarves put together these dwellings._

Griphook: We'll be there after sundown.

Harry used Wyatt's and Leit's books to expand all 4 bedrooms, the cupboards, the kitchen, the attic and the garage space. The symbols to expand 4 Privet Drive took him two days to learn.

The difficulty came in trying to expand these areas relative to the physical place 4 Privet Drive inhabited. Harry used the the Mac Delight box as a guide to work out the method to expand his living room. The pocket space a Mac Delight contained did not function as a living space.

He needed more reading material. Leit and Wyatt's instruction manuals helped him get to the point he was in redesigning his home, but he simply needed more information.

He realized in the last 8 days that he needed Muggle schools to apply most of furniture/upholstery and underaged wizardry texts he received. The math involved in the symbol magic was too complex for the spells and potions practice the next 2 years Hogwarts gave him.

He figured the groundwork he laid at Privet Drive should give him sufficient money to pay whatever bills Vernon used to pay. Any renters could come in and furnish this place whatever way they liked.

He took his commercial trunk to new and gently used shop where Aunt Petunia donated their clothes and furniture. He asked the workers to move his selections to the back of the store where he would wait for the 'movers' to pick it up. The Muggle money he withdrew from the Gringotts wallet barely equated to 30 galleons.

He discovered he would be able to purchase all kinds of major appliances if he stuck with Muggle purchases.

His Wyatt book offered three bonuses that made that 1000 galleon cost worth the cost: it listed ways that Muggle technology could be used in an all magic environment. He hadn't even considered the possibility that any Muggle item would be incompatible with magic life. If the magic world lived amongst Muggles for so many centuries, why wouldn't they spread this adaptation for common use?

The second bonus was he learned he could transfer any book he was reading to his wall space. He could write out his ideas anywhere and transfer the entire concept to his notebook. The more interesting use would be at Hogwarts when the teacher lectured from the chalkboard. At least, he assumed they would have a chalkboard. He just needed to figure out what classrooms they would be using.

The last bonus was the portal he had created between the Surrey Library and his cupboard under the stairs. He couldn't live in the pocket space the Mac Delight provided but he could travel in between two points. He went to the library every night to find books to help him understand what he was reading from the Hagrid Day of Fate.

Muggles did some things better than wizards. It was true vice versa as well. He figured as long as the final result worked; it made no discernable difference.

Harry had to seek out Ian's advice for all the invitations welcoming him to come to magic school. The amount of mail he received on a daily basis was staggering. There was a device upholders used to string together separate fibers until they reached completion, the stroder. Harry used the stroder to bind the offers together and send a notebook copy to Ian.

In spite of his inheritance, most of the schools referenced free tuition and board if Harry came to their school. They told him his name recognition could triple their enrollees.

Harry could only go to Hogwarts. His Gringotts ledgers had entry detailing the date they paid Hogwarts for the first year. He had spent time writing each school a letter asking if the schools would allow another student to attend in his place using that free tuition and board, then he might be willing to come to their school the following year.

He told each school no matter what he decided to do they could depend on him coming to their school and promoting education for all magic users. He asked if they had a summer school program and if they would be willing to send him a means to get there.

He only received five outright rejections. Because the boy who lived was the most famous child in the magic world, Harry had received an offer from each and every school program. Some schools were big as 1000 students per year of instruction. The majority of the offering schools were apprentice styled relationships. Each trainer had no more than 10 pupils.

The sheer range and number of offers were staggering. Harry hoped Ian could tell him if there was anyway to match all the offers minus the 5 rejections with students looking to be educated. Most of these schools did not have an age limit. Ian might be able to tell him how Harry could get a copy of each student's experience if such a thing was even possible.

Harry noticed over the last 8 days that he received questionable items from witches young and old. He didn't know what he was supposed to make of all explicit material. Since Cedric said he would answer any questions Harry had, he bundled up all the photographs, articles of clothing and devices for Cedric to give him some answers.

He used the stroder to give himself a copy of the attached letters so he could politely thank these ladies for their general interest. Maybe Cedric could even figure out whether there was a wizard dating service akin to Lonely Hearts where he could match the witch to the right wizard or muggle.

He knew he didn't have the wherewithal to accept all this personal stuff from people he didn't know. He did know if he stopped to answer just his mail, he wouldn't have time to do anything else. Maybe Harry needed hire other people to read or to answer his mail.


	6. Chapter 6

Cedric was really pleased. More than pleased, he was JUBILANT. Harry had sent him the score of the century: nude, bold, alluring women. Who knew?

As a hardworking Hufflepuff, Cedric decided to take Harry explicit package with him to Leit's Transport. He knew his father and mother well enough to know their reaction: unaccepting about the material and disappointed in him. He was not interested in having that kind of discussion with either of them.

He expected Leit to have a Lonely Hearts solution which could connect mates without embarrassing these witches.

Leit looked at the photographs and articles of clothing with a truly jaundiced eye. As a young man, Cedric was thinking with his wand not as a wizard. _Desperate_ witches had ways to enchant and catch an unthinking wizard for years on end with this paraphernalia.

Leit took everything in the package to an enchantress to see if she could fulfill Harry's Lonely Hearts request and void any influence the wrong wizard might suffer.

Beverly the Enchantress struck gold when she looked through the Potter commission. She gave Leit a finder's fee and took the items to her Flask of Agape. This magical artifact had been passed down in her family for generations.

Her family's artifact had fallen out of favor with the Wizengamot because wizards had stopped seeking their perfect match. The patriarchs had resorted to marriage contracts to keep business alliances strong.

In this era, magical people believed love matches were rare and often unattainable. It wasn't actually true. Heads of households sought out spouses for their kin who could strengthen the family, not make their heirs happy.

Harry Potter had circumvented the practice by bringing these witches forward. Patriarchs can't deny a true love match especially when the male heir could still continue the family line. The Ministry had a special fund set aside for anyone who brought together a love match couple because the works produced within these marriages created the last Wizard Golden Age. If Harry Potter had a constant supply of 100 explicit messages in 8 days, he could fund her shop for a year if half these women followed through in these relationships. She decided to write Harry Potter directly.

-0-

Dear Mr. Potter,

I want to thank you for forwarding these explicit items to Mr. Diggory. He sought out help from Mr. Leit. Mr. Leit knew an enchantress was needed. These ladies can find the man or mate they need, but don't realize they have an avenue available to them. Your diligence has allowed me to match over 80 women in the list you sent. I will split any funds the Ministry of Magic does release if any of these couples marry.

Please direct any letters like this to me here in Blues Alley. Be careful when you handle these items. Witches have access to love potions, curses to bind unsuspecting wizards, and charms to take your reason and ability to discern away from you. Never let these items touch your bare skin. Wear a mask just in case there are scent related potions. Don't take the time to question whether something is charmed or cursed, just forward the questionable items. I forwarded 20 of your articles to the Auror Department because the witches tried to rob you of your free mind.

Beware, Harry. Witches will take advantage of your good intentions.

Sincerely Yours,

Beverly

Enchantress

Blues Alley

-0-

Ian took the school stroder to Flitwick. Harry didn't specify whether the students had to be current students or they needed to be students who had not been to magic school yet. Flitwick had been his head of house and knew more about what it took to select students than he did. He didn't trust Dumbledore or McGonangall in putting the right students with the right schools.

Flitwick asked Ian the primary question, "Do you want to make a political statement or match the needs of the students with the best fit?"

"I want to do several different things at once. Harry has offers from over 2000 schools or tutor/trainers. How in the world am I going to figure what is the right combination?

"The good news is the castle is empty so we can do as much or as little research as we need to do. The sorting hat determines a house to match students with year after year. We are going to ask him to sort students with schools.

The bad news is you and I are going to break into the Headmaster and McGonagall's office. We are then going to steal the sorting hat and take the Book of Magic Users in Britain. If we have more schools than students, we are going to the International Confederation of Wizards and take their book of magic users.

We are not going to tell anyone because Hogwarts lies to its students about other educational possibilities. I will not lose my job because I look out for more students than go to Hogwarts. The opposite is also true too. There are a lot of uninitiated magical people in Britain. There is a quota limiting the number of witches and wizards who are to be educated. This will be the first time in years where the maximum number of potential magical people are educated in Britain."

"Professor, we don't have to steal the magical registries. Harry has enclosed the spell he used to create stroder. We can enclose both registries with the offers from these schools."

"You can call me, Filius, since we are going to be partners in this illegal venture. Hogwarts is the only school who has access to that registry for Britain. Hold on, what is a stroder?

"Do you see this bound book here?"

Filius nodded his head.

"For simplicity's sake, it is a currently a bound book copied from the original letters sent to Harry Potter."

"Are you prepared to change the face of Britain?"

"Why not? The Ministry released all the Death Eaters who killed my family. They haven't treated mixed magical races that well either. Can you honestly say you care whether they will be upset?"

"No. They have tried to tax me more because I am not quite Goblin, but they don't consider me a wizard."

Filius put his hand on the walls outside MCGonagall's office. He spoke his request to Hogwarts and placed a stroder copy of the request from Harry Potter. Ian used the copy/transfer spell Harry had given him. Ian put his hand next to Filius and stated his intentions.

"Hogwarts, please listen to our plea. You were built to give safe haven to magical students. We have uncovered a way to get all the magical students in Britain educated for at least one year without any of the students having to pay any costs."

Filius added, "Dumbledore, in anticipation of Harry Potter's arrival, pushed a law through the Wizengamot, that decrees that any wizard or witch who begins a magical education has to complete that education. If these other schools don't allow our magicals to complete their education at their institution, Hogwarts will have to expand to fulfill the need next year. We will meet our charter for the first time in centuries. Will you help us?"

Hogwarts responded by producing a bound physical copy of the Founder's Incorporating rules, a copy of Ministry rules that conflicted with the Founders Incorporating rules, and the binding punishment required for breach of this contract.

Ian asked Hogwarts, "Filius works here. Are you including me? I am a healer. I don't know the first thing about education or education policy?"

Hogwarts produced a lineage chart of the four Founders. Ian McZenzie was one of Ravenclaw's heirs. After he saw his name highlighted on the chart, Hogwarts gave him a journal of Ravenclaw's desires for Hogwarts. Hogwarts wanted him to know it was his responsibility to see it done.

He had no idea he was descended from Ravenclaw. He looked at Filius for some direction. Filius continued asking for direction from Hogwarts.

"Thank you for helping us with educating all British students. Is there any other role I should take as the Head of Ravenclaw which I am supposed to fulfill?"

Hogwarts gave him the manual for employees and a list of tasks the Founders completed each year to prepare Hogwarts and themselves for the current year of students. "Invite those schools who have a small number of students to teach here. Tell them we will supply them with facilities and resources to help train their students. There are 10 towers. Hufflepuff and Slytherin use neither. We can house 8 schools in these towers. In exchange for resources and our facilities, the school will allow our students to observe what they offer. The hat and book are in your office, Filius."

"We will both follow your lead."

Filius sought out help from his former Ravenclaws. Ian contacted Stan Shunpike to find as many hedge witches and wizards as he could find. The Ministry did not consider them real magic wielders. Their skills were limited in scope but their talents could be trained.

The sorting hat took the registries and the schools because there was no way to gather together that many students in this short amount of time. For the students he had already sorted at Hogwarts, his selections were accurate. He gave a range of options for any other students based on the family lineages. It would not be as good a match as if he had each student in front of him.

Hogwarts requested the Sorting Hat to contact each name listed in the registry of the International Confederation of Wizards. Generally, Minerva took the Britain registry and contacted students with an automated quill. She personally visited each Muggleborn student. Hogwarts directed the hat to dictate a different invitation to the automated quill. Hogwarts decided for herself that the registries would be used to continually contact all Hogwarts eligible students.

Hogwarts decided she had failed the Founders and she would correct the disparity between those who were invited by the Ministry and those who were eligible. She contacted the elves so they could repair and revive the 8 towers which had not been used in two centuries. She also directed the Sorting Hat to contact Vector, Burbage, Sinestra, and Hooch to return to Hogwarts earlier so they can institute new levels of responsibility and take over new housing and classroom units. Hogwarts also contacted the Board of Governors. She called a meeting for the next day and had the Sorting Hat to supply each governor with a copy of the bylaws of governance. She had the Sorting Hat to direct their attention to the failure to comply to the call of duty sections so they would know they were being invoked. If a governor could not make it to Hogwarts by 10 a.m. tomorrow, they would be released from duty and Hogwarts would call past alumni to serve on the Board. Everyone-faculty, staff, governors, and alumni-had to work hard over the next three weeks if Hogwarts was going to embrace the changes necessary to support the new students or the students who would be visiting other institutions for the next year.

Hogwarts was happy for the first time in several centuries. She would continue to contact new faculty and release those instructors who could not embrace the changes Ian and Filius set in motion. She might even move to 80% occupancy for the first time in centuries.

She set her sights on all the old trunks, clothing, books, and access personal property that students had abandoned over the centuries. She would make these items available for any impoverished students who came to Hogwarts unprepared. She would also restructure the towers and dungeons so that Madame Pince would now have to oversee 5 branches of the library. She would remain located in the main library, but each living space had a place for study and multiple copies of their school books. Madame Pince would have to get 4 new librarians to handle the overflow. She looked forward to spreading the hidden books to these new locations. She knew Albus would have a fit when he returned to the castle.

Day 8-9 since The Hagrid Day of Fate

Of course, Harry had no idea what a big miasma he had stirred up at Hogwarts by mailing Ian those school offers. He just wanted to make sure other students had a way out if someone had been treated like the Dursleys had treated him. Harry trusted Cedric and Ian because those letters made him feel like he was in over his head. They both seemed willing to step in and help him when he was in Diagon Alley. They said he could contact him with any questions he had. Those letters were more than he could handle. If Ian and Ced took care of those people as well as they had taken care of him, those students and women were in good hands.

Harry's attention was focused on all the work Master Dwarf Grimholde had done at Godric's Hollow. He took the Knight Bus sight unseen for his parent's house. The level of gloom loomed upon the house and the grounds. He knew he would never live there or ask anyone else to live there as long as the atmosphere was oppressive as it was. He asked Griphook and Grimholde to join with him in a ritual to consecrate the ground and strip the house of any looming evil spirits.

Grimholde informed him, "If I bleed with you, Harry, in a consecration ritual, I become responsible for you. You also become responsible for me, Harry. Do you understand what that means to a dwarf?"

"No. Can you explain it to me?"

"It means that my kith and kin adopt your cause as our cause, but you and your family adopt our cause for your cause. We dwarves are not seen as good actors in the wizarding world. You will become a pariah amongst this new society you plan to join. Our pride will not allow you to deny our alliance in public."

"The same is true of me, wizard. Your school will teach in the fall about how many Goblin rebellions have been waged against wizards. The wizarding world has many prejudices. This ceremony will elevate to equal status in the eyes of my clan. We will adopt you and prepare you for the magical world in the goblin way. Do you know the level of perfection we require for goblin warriors?"

"Will you expect me to leave the wizarding world and join your clans?"

"No. You will be required to show up to specific dwarven holidays at different points of the year."

"No. You must learn banking and fighting in the goblin way. You have until your 25th birthday to complete your training satisfactorily. We pool our resources to train our children. You would have to contribute."

"Will you expect me to ignore my wizarding heritage and take only the causes that make sense to you?"

"No, we dwarves would expect to have some say over any fights our alliance drags us into. If we are in trouble and you are called to help us, your will be given similar deference. You will also be involved in some of our yearly rituals. If you take this step, your family will be tied to us forevermore."

"We will not expect you to ignore your wizardry heritage. We will expect to treat all goblins fairly without prejudice. If we are in danger, we expect you to alert us to any threats to the Goblin Nation. If you have to make a hard choice between your heritage or your alliance, it must because you need to survive. Otherwise, if you betray us, we will fight to the last goblin."

"As long as these are reciprocal agreements, I'm fine with both of your terms. I want to allow spirits of my family to continue to dwell here, my problem is with the danger Voldermort posed to my family. The spirits should have risen up and defended their living family. There are entire sections of this book (he indicated his mother's journal) that show how devoted this family forebears were to the land and our continued existence. Someone betrayed this house."

"We need more warriors here."

"I've done the justice ritual once this month. I can tell you if we do both these rituals we might be here for a few days. It will take us a few days to recover. Contact whoever you need to contact, but I want to move forward with this today."

Within fours hours, seven goblins, dwarves and Harry sat in a circle in front of Godric's Hollow. The symbols were dug into the soil in front of each being. Harry invoked the words while the circle held hands. The burst of magic came from the Hollow itself.

Several things happened at once: Harry and Grimholde passed out, Griphook was cast out of the circle; 7 reference sets were placed within the circle; the Potter elves descended on the Hollow to repair and replace the ruined structure; and the Potter spirits were released from their burial sites. Once the elves finished repairing the Hollow's structural integrity, they brought those left in the circle into the house. The elves contacted Gringotts to pick up Griphook. As his betrayal against the Potters had already been judged, Gringotts could decide how they wanted to deal with their employee. Though they could forget their referral fee for the dwarves' services, the rest of the Gringotts delegation present in the circle could inform them what went wrong.


	7. Chapter 7

5 - The Course is Set.

Day 12 since The Hagrid Day of Fate

"Okay, I figured out from the Legacy box what my next step/move is to qualify for my May 1st appointment."

"Two things: Why are you telling me? I don't have an inheritance test to undergo what do I have to do with it?

"First, you helped me gain more money with those knicker letters. I had no idea there was a Lonely Hearts market in the wizarding world. There have been no less than five marriages because the connection was so strong. Can you believe 5 marriages in less than a week? Wizards move fast. I didn't do any work to gain the money.

Each marriage produced 500 galleons a head. I have 2500 galleons I didn't work to gain. Beverly took 1250 galleons for herself. You know other Hogwarts students, right? Can you write them and tell them you are looking to invest in 250 galleons in 5 different student-run businesses?

You are a fourth year, right? You have some idea if any of the students have undeveloped talent that they aren't using. My task to qualify for the next inheritance installment is: _investment_. Asgard Potter was a millennium Christian. He watched villagers be rewarded for tithing and service to village clergy, but he noticed his people starved. His challenge was to bring enough to the village, so each person had more than enough. He needed to have enough money to find his mother and sisters releasing them from bondage. He didn't think the goals to himself and to his village were contradictory.

He took the parable of the 10 talents to heart. In the story, the master handed out 10, 5, 2, and 1 talents. The master asked the servants to increase the money so that when the master returned each servant had increased the talents given. The point of the parable was to everyone who has more is given. If a servant can't increase the master's money, even what they have will be taken away.

For my forebears' purpose, Asgard has given me 7500 galleons. He expects to see some increase before the May 1st meeting. If I cannot take what he has given me and multiply it, the rest of my inheritance will be left for later generations.

I am leaning on you for the 1250 galleons because you turned letters into galleons. I don't really want to be bothered with this Boy Who Lived thing. I didn't and still don't know what the etiquette for the knickers stash would be. You followed your instincts. Here we are. I am confident that you can turn 1250 galleons into something unbelievable if you follow your instincts. You will take a finder's fee for this as you did with the letters.

-0-

Hello Mrs. Chang,

I want to meet with you so we can begin notions for a wedding contract between your daughter and my son, Cedric Diggory. I know our cultural differences might necessitate some unique accommodations, but I come to this negotiation with an open mind.

My son has already taken a compatibility test. Please have Cho take a test before we meet. I'm available at your convenience.

Thanks.

Grace Diggory

-0-

Gale's life had taken a drastic turn around in less than a month. Before Ian's decision, Gale had a mission to change muggleborn-pureblood politics. She mediated and settled disputes before the Wizengamot took up issues. Her office was understaffed. Her boss rarely came to work and refused to be bothered with muggleborn disputes. It was her task to investigate any complaints and put together reasonable solutions. She was not allowed to impose judgement on the parties. The trick to make a settlement stick and worth the pureblood's time was to hammer out a padded settlement.

Most of the settlements she made were weighted in favor of the pureblood, but she knew it was better than what the Wizengamot would do. As it stood, the governing body did not have any muggleborn members. She just needed to reach far enough to satisfy the pureblood's pride. Most of the time the muggleborns who came before her were seeking relief from patent infringements, libel or some sort of commercial espionage; they did not believe they would get equal treatment.

Ian removed her from the oppressive environment of the Ministry of Magic, gave her a home office, expanded the number of disputes she heard because she didn't have to do all the fact investigations, and unleashed the elves on British purebloods. She had been working through a backlog of cases decades long. With all the help Ian offered her, she believed she would cut the resolution down to half the time. If she had more people working for her, she would be able to resolve all the cases. She was willing to admit to Ian that he was right and had changed her life for the better.

"Which option is it, Gale?"

"It is not #1. I only want to bear your children, Ian. I know you lost family in the war, but I don't understand pureblood obligations well enough to know why 45 MacKenzies need to be replaced. I am not willing to share you with 9 women (#2). The most you can have for a 10 year and a day ceremony is 2 women. I doubt the Diggories want to have 10 children, but if they are willing I'm willing. I think we need to divide adopting 20 to 25 children over a period of 12 or 13 years. If you set up the MacKenzie plan, I am willing to fulfill my role."

"I will set it in motion. I have been thinking about you fulfilling your dream of getting all these complaints resolved."

"Yes, I am happy that things are moving along as well as they are."

"Well you know the Ministry, the Wizengamot, and your boss do not care whether these cases are EVER resolved, right?"

"Yes."

"You know the Ministry subcontracts business to connected purebloods, right?"

"Right. I am not a pureblood."

"You aren't, but I am."

"They owe me. Why don't I ask that your department become my business? All unsatisfactory resolutions can still go through the Wizengamot, but you can charge the parties a reasonable sum, hire as many people needed to move the disputes along, and you can find out how many Muggleborns are doing new and different things in this world. How does that sound?"

"I knew I'd ask you for more staff, but I had no idea that a muggleborn would be allowed to own a business."

"Eventually, you will be able to own it outright. When I incorporate, I will sign over everything to you. We are going to have keep the incorporation hidden otherwise the Ministry will not allow it to move forward."

"Deal."

Filius brought in 5 past Ravenclaw Head Boys and Girls to manage the sheer size of changes at Hogwarts. He knew he couldn't hammer out the Founder's Incorporating rules, the manual for employees and sift through the list of tasks the Founders completed to prepare Hogwarts and themselves for students. The only thing Filus did know for sure was he would eventually leave Hogwarts and create a school for half Goblins such as himself. He didn't know how he managed to teach at Hogwarts for 100 years. His original plan had been to come to Hogwarts and teach for 25. He had his Charms Mastery. He was responsible for 8 innovations in the field which were patented to his benefit. He had amassed enough to start a school of his own.

He had no idea why he stayed so long. He did know that Ravenclaw would need a new Head of House. Hogwarts had a fund separate and apart from the stash the Ministry and Albus used to pay for the teachers, activities, and supplies. Hogwarts gave him enough money to employ these Ravenclaws and develop the Charms section to heights Hogwarts had never seen.

Filius put Leslie Warrington, Class of 1975, in charge of scheduling for himself and the rest of the management team. She had been working as a Potions Mistress. She really wanted time to set up her own shop and create potions that could raise the standard of living for other witches. Returning to Hogwarts would give her the time she needed to complete some of the new discoveries she was making. Her former boss realized how well she had adapted to steaming through all the orders the apothecaries sent his firm and dumped more and more work on her. It would have been alright if she shared in the benefits or he distributed the work evenly, but he had decided she would toil in squalor while the other potioneers were able to use their time in loftier pursuits. When Filius owled her with his request, it was the chance she had been looking for to do more with herself and her time.

"Alright team Ravenclaw, we have 2 weeks to implement changes to the care and maintenance of Hogwarts; turn the rulebooks and practices back to the Founder's ideals, and implement a revolution in student matriculation. We each have our expertise but I think it is important for us each to find a system where we work together and make use of any resources available here. I am open to suggestions."

"Todd McMillen here. The elves have set up each tower. We should set them up a little differently than Ravenclaw and Gryfindor. They don't need as much room for dorms. They can each have an individual bathroom and a suite of rooms for themselves. They can have their own core classrooms in the tower. We just need to assemble observation space for each classroom."

"Remember that although Vector, Burbage, Sinestra, and Hooch are responsible for student housing and classrooms, it's only for Hogwarts students. The other housing and classrooms fulfill what Hogwarts want for the 8 other schools.

Well, I still think we are doubling our efforts. Instead we can talk to each professor and find out how they are completing their tasks; then we can devote our time to these other preparation tasks that need to be completed."

"I am interested in bringing different teaching techniques to the classrooms."

"Only if you are willing to spend the time explaining the new techniques and classrooms to the instructors, Todd do whatever you feel will work."

"You need to be report back here in 3 days with your plans, how you plan to implement them, and your training routine for the 8 new schools and the Hogwarts professors."

"Fine."

"If you like this learning aspect, during the school year you will be responsible for adapting each study area to maximize learning for each student. Can you do that?"

"If the teachers and students work with me, yes I want to do that."

"One down, who's next?"

Derringer's Bistro of Culinary Arts

"Artie, we just received a note from a British school, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It says since we were generous enough to extend a scholarship to Harry Potter and extend that same offer to another British student, they are willing to house this school."

"How long can we operate there?"

"Hogwarts says as long as we leave open a Harry Potter scholarship, we are welcome to remain at their location."

"What do you want to do Headmistress?"

"Our graduates need exposure. It would be good for them to make a debut somewhere outside of Trinidad/Tobaggo."

"Anise, if you want to go abroad, who will teach here?"

"We will let our graduates teach a new class of beginners here in Trinidad. We'll take our intermediate and graduating students with us. We can let them teach our craft to their servants and to any willing students."

"Who else can come?"

"Our families and any beginning magical student who is looking to settle in another country can move with us."

"Let's try it for the year. If they behave poorly or mistreat us, we will leave."

Hagrid made headway in the property and valuables in which he was responsible. He made contact with Grawp and asked him whether he could be his ambassador with the other tribes. Even though Grawp's control of the English language was limited, he spoke Giant dialect just fine.

Hagrid retained the Regent, Deiter, who looked after Weogulf Clan in Hagrid's absence. He asked Deiter whether he was able to call to all the half giants in Weogulf Territory. Hagrid decided his newly purchased home would be a shelter for those kin who weren't doing as well as he was, but didn't want to join the clan.

Hagrid decided to stay at Hogwarts, but he was going to demand additional help. He needed time to set up a way to import more animals to Weofulf Territory. After 50 years living with the animals Friedwulfa left with the clan, the Weogulf giants were willing to look after new animals. Hagrid asked Aragog whether he wanted to move his family to Weogulf Territory. Deiter had a place set up for them and was willing to receive however many acromantulas who wanted to move.

Aragog and all but two of his children were willing to move and live with the Weogulf. They had expanded as far as the Forbidden Forest would allow. They hadn't starved yet, but he could see that his great grandchildren and great great grandchildren did not have enough space to roam. Hagrid figured if the clan would be able to create a better economic relationship with the wizards, maybe the wizards would leave his people alone.

Acromantula silk was a prime commodity. Hagrid knew he could corner the market in silk. Prejudice usually goes out the window when a person's wallet is endangered. If wizards couldn't afford to hate, they'd live and let live.

Hagrid contacted Harry to tell him he would meet him in two days at the Leaky Cauldron. He apologized for leaving him to explore Diagon Alley by himself, explained his illness, and told him he would take him to the shops the right way this time. He wondered what had happened with him and the Dursleys since he had seen him last.

-6- Hagrid redeems himself.

Harry came to Diagon Alley ½ hour before he was supposed to meet Hagrid. He wanted to make sure he was as low key as possible. No more 'thanks Mr. Potter' mobs for him. He had decided there were two ways to go about his fame that would be fun for him and keep the public feeling good: the Dread Pirate Roberts route or the Jack Burton express. Either persona would be a caricature of him and what he stood for, but it would separate who he was from who the public expected him to be.

The way he saw it, he spent 10 years trying to get the Dursleys to respect and love him. What had he gotten from being just Harry with relatives who already formed an opinion about him based on whose child he was? He received grief, strife, and as much abuse as the Dursleys could dish out. He could not change their opinions no matter how much he did for him. Everyone isn't the same, but the amount of effort it took to perform for each Dursley required too much sweat and far too many tears.

He had thought about it a great deal. With his new television set, he had seen a lot of the television shows the Dursleys watched but he had never seen. Harry had formed the opinion that sometimes playing pretend was easier on everyone. If people came to the conversation fresh with limited expectations, he would do the same. Otherwise, Wizarding World, please meet the Princess Bride's Dread Pirate Roberts or Big Trouble in Little China's Jack Burton.

Hagrid walked into the Leaky Cauldron. Harry greeted him at the brick wall.

"Hello, sir. I hope you feel much better today."

"Call me, Hagrid, Harry. I am going to treat you to the best tour of Diagon Alley anyone can get. You are going to see the sights most wizards ignore. Follow me."

Hagrid took him to Eyelet's Emporium. "Go ahead and pick out your familiar, Harry. Feel your way through the store. The animal meant for _you_ will strike your fancy as soon as you see them."

A beautiful snowy owl presented herself to Harry. She barked at Harry and landed on his arm. He decided this was her, his familiar, Hedwig. He turned around to leave the store. He was only able to take two steps before Hedwig barked again. Another owl flew down to greet Hedwig. He did not land on Harry. He circled Hedwig whose wings clattered as he barked at her. Hedwig turned and looked at Harry. He realized he had a bonded pair of owls to care for. "Okay, girl, I will accept him too."

Harry made it to the counter with Hedwig and her mate, Adonae. Hedwig barked at Harry again. Several owlets descended from the ceiling. "So you want me to purchase your whole family." Hedwig clacked her beak at Harry. "You know if I take in this direction, I will have my own owl service." She just turned her head and moved around his arm.

The shop owner laughed at Harry. "You have chosen the fussiest owl I have ever had the pleasure to sell. She is implacable, contentious and imposing. You don't have to train her or her owls. She has managed them just fine from their very first day. She will tell you what she can and cannot do.

It has been a pleasure to serve you, my queen. Come back to visit any time."

Hedwig hopped on the counter, spread her wings, and barked at the shop owner. She settled down long enough to blink at him a few times and clack her beak. Each owl descended to give the shop owner the same demonstration.

"How many galleons for the whole fleet?"

Hagrid greeted him as Harry left the shop with a bird gaggle. "So you are a bird whisperer, hey? His boisterous laugh greeted Hedwig's parliament of owls. They descended and landed on his extended arms.. They clacked at him with a few wing flutters to boot.

With this display, Hagrid knew Harry was alright. "This is not your typical familiar, Harry. This is a royal line. For Hedwig to invite her whole family along, she shows an innate trust. She expects you to protect and take care of them." Hedwig turned and leaped to Harry's arm and used her beak to arrange his hair.

"Message received. I am at your service, Hedwig. Can you find my house?"

Hedwig bit his ear, brushed her wing across his face, ascended in the air and took her family with her. Harry gently smiled as she rapidly flew away.

"The shop owner told me I didn't need a cage because she would refuse to get in one. He said with this many owls I didn't need a perch either. Can you recommend a place to house them?"

"Harry, they will establish their own dwelling wherever you are. With a family, the owls see to their own needs. Based on what I've seen, Hedwig will come when you need her."

"How will she know?"

"The same way she knows where you live."

Hagrid took him to Ollivander next. "Hi Ollivander. Harry and I need new wands."

Ollivander answered from behind them. He told Harry about his parents' wands and told them which subjects they showed the most promise in mastering.

"Hagrid, I thought you could no longer practice magic."

Hagrid presented a certificate pardoning him from the suspicious arrest which splashed across the newspapers 50 years ago. "Times change."

"Why did you wait so long to get a replacement wand."

"I discovered that the Ministry of Magic did not want me or my kind practicing magic. The illness I developed kept me from seeking out a replacement."

"If I was not a wand maker, I doubt the ministry would have much use for me and my kind either."

After Hagrid and Harry tried every wand in the shop, they found a wand of their own. Olliver tried to tell Harry about Tom Riddle's wand but Hagrid intervened. Hagrid paid for both their wands and two wand holsters, and pulled Harry from the shop.

"The wand and its holster are my gift for a belated birthday.

Just remember, we make our own fate, Harry. Tom Riddle is Voldermort. We went to school at Hogwarts at the same time. Riddle is the reason I was arrested and the Ministry took my wand. Whatever anyone of us tells you about your parents, Riddle, or your destiny; this is your life to make and choose. Enjoy what brings you happiness when you can."

Harry wondered what brought this on. He thought Voldermort only had one name. Why would Ollivander tell him about Tom Riddle's wand after explaining so much about his parents? Surely, his parent's murderer didn't belong in the same conversation.

Hagrid next led Harry to a commodities trader in Blues Alley. "Sarte, I'd like to find some breeding animals this year."

"What did you have in mind? Do you want to renew your old orders or start fresh?"

Harry followed this conversation intently. Godric's Hollow offered a forest and cleared fields to roam. He had elves to manage too. Ian told him how much work his request generated at Hogwarts. He sent his entire staff of elves to Hogwarts to help prepare the school. He knew they needed to have demanding work to be happy.

Harry asked questions of Sarte about Hagrid's request. Hagrid asked him whether he wanted to develop an animal husbandry.

"I have elves who are idle at Godric's Hollow. They need something to do."

"I need someone to help me care for these critters this year. I plan to complete my education. If you allow your elves to help me this year, I will train them in animal husbandry."

Harry called Argile, the head elf, to ask if he had any qualms about going into animal husbandry. Once their deal was made, Hagrid helped Harry and Argile select the range of animals he could keep at the Hollow. Sarte tried to sell Harry more than he needed, but Hagrid and Argile stepped in each time.

When they left the shop, Argile popped away. Hagrid explained the use of each animal Harry purchased in potion ingredients, meat, and crop growth. Hagrid told Harry in great detail that the Hollow already had a range of animals because James let them freely roam across the property. Harry asked Hagrid whether he could train to take care of the animals too. Hagrid agreed.

Hagrid brought him to a butcher who killed domesticated animals for feathers, meat, potions ingredients, hides, and feed. Hagrid wanted the butcher to come to Hogwarts after he had rounded up a group of wild hogs and wolves in the Forbidden Forest. The butcher agreed to a price per head.

Hagrid explained to Harry that once magicals could not manage the domesticated and wild animals they purchased, they brought and dumped them into the Forbidden Forest. These animals were starting to overtake different native animals. Now that most of the acromantulas were leaving, the two remaining would fail to reduce the boars and wolves' numbers.

Hagrid brought Harry back to Diagon Alley so he could get his robes, his presorted potion ingredients, and the grocers. At Madam Malkins, Hagrid informed her that Harry needed the basic robes, uniform, and undergarments. Harry asked her if she could explain what she offered that was different than the muggle world and if these charms could be added to what he already owned. Hagrid also asked her to make Harry durable, work robes for tasks in collecting potions, nursing fighting plants, and tending animals.

Next at the apothecary, Hagrid asked the shop owner what was the going rate for moon beam azaleas and other plants he would be clearing away for the animal pens he would erect for the school year. The apothecary shop owner produced a pricing guide for various plants he sold. Harry took a copy so he had some idea what he and his elves should be looking for at Godric's Hollow. When he thought of his daily battle with that Potter legacy box, he knew it was possible that he might never be able to resolve it sufficient to receive a full inheritance from Asgard Potter. His father, James, had left a sufficient amount of land at the Hollow to make a sufficient living for himself.

His attention returned to Hagrid because he was demanding the 'real potion making list' for Harry. The shop owner had laid out a heap of ingredients on the counter. Hagrid was angered by the lack of charts and comparison guide for potion interactions. It seems that the standard tool kit had changed from Hagrid's time as a student and now. Hagrid told the shop owner that the students could permanently injure themselves if they didn't have the charts and guides. Harry learned that the current potion master had made the changes when he took over at Hogwarts.

Hagrid's parting words were, "We'll see about that."

At the grocers, Hagrid bought provisions for the coming school year. Harry asked him how that was even possible when muggles bought perishable items which had to be consumed within a week or two. Hagrid took Harry through each section of the market and explained how the wiarding world had been collecting, preserving, and storing food for centuries. Hagrid told him "Wizards don't suffer from food shortages, Harry. We will always have a dwelling and nourishment."

Harry just wished that had always been true for him.

By the end of the day, Hagrid had become his friend. He forgave Hagrid for their rocky first Diagon Alley trip and looked forward to a year learning what Hagrid could teach him.

When Harry returned to 4 Privet Drive, he found a letter waiting for him in his post box. He opened the letter.

-0-

Dearest Harry,

I know you won't believe us, but we think we've been poisoned.

Once we left Privet Drive, we began to feel better. Vernon and Dudley have stopped overeating. I've regained a healthy appetite. We've read through the books your ritual produced.

We are not the only ones at fault for your treatment. We can't make up for our behavior towards you, but we can become better people.

Forever in your debt.

Petunia Dursley

-0-

Hedwig arrived as he completed the letter.

"How did you know, girl?"

Hedwig just gave Harry a blank stare, blinked and turned her head.

Harry wrote a letter requesting that Ian take his aunt to St. Mungos and confirm her poisoning story. Once Harry had completed that last ritual, he decided a lot about his last 10 years was strange.

Harry had awoken from that ritual disoriented and confused. The goblins departed immediately after they had told him they would contact him as soon as Gringotts could confirm the source of the damage to his accounts. The goblins pledged to rectify any discrepancy they found.

The dwarves had remained with him. Grimholde told him they would have to rethink the basement caverns he had planned to build into the heart of Godric's Hollow. Grimholde was able to complete 4 Privet Drive. The justice ritual had uncovered a lot more land than the Griphook had initially estimated. Plus the Potter ghosts had explained there were underground caves no one had previously explored. Harry paid Grimholde for the part of the job he had completed. He gave Grimholde permission to come back and explore the existing foundation.

Harry thought he was handling all these changes. He was free from the prison of his relatives. He had a means to take care of himself. He had a school to go to in just 2 short weeks. He still yearned for a loving family but he didn't see how he would receive that before he was an adult.


	8. Chapter 8

7 – What Procedure?

Ian dropped by 4 Privet Drive the day after the real Diagon Alley adventure. Harry was running low on money. He was down to his last 500 galleons.

A leasing company independent of Gringotts was handling Privet Drive for him. He had 2 renters so far. He had set up each bedroom as a suite. He asked the management team to find him single muggleborns. He wanted these witches to blend into the muggles as much as possible. Harry had spent a lot of time telling the neighbors that the Dursleys decided to move and he had renters taking over the care and management of the property.

Harry had an additional 1250 galleons from Beverly on the Lonely Heart marriages. He decided Cedric had more than enough money to invest in students with ideal talents and unique abilities. Harry set aside some money for other people to sort and read his mail. He had over 150 to 175 articles of mail everyday. He could not keep up with it and did not want to miss something that might be important. He figured some experts could give him an idea of how personal or impersonal he needed to be with all these people. The second mail related issue was: where did all his past mail go before he received the post box? He needed to hire an investigative group who could track down his old mail. His sorters could find out if there was anything in that massive pile which would give some clues to those investigators.

He would use the remaining stash of money to hire a barrister. He wanted to sever any guardianship rights the Dursleys might have over him. Harry had read through some of those reference books the justice ritual had left behind. The reference books contained some of Vernon Dursley's household ledgers. Vernon was spending more money a month than Vernon made in a year. He wanted his lawyer to find out where Vernon had gotten that money and if Vernon had access to Harry's Gringotts bank account.

If Vernon had starved him, abused and molested him, AND took a cut of his parent's money while calling Harry a FREAK, there could be no way a poisoning could justify that. Ian had not told him whether Petunia's report was true or if the Dursleys were trying to wiggle their way back into staying at Privet Drive rent-free. If the Durselys had spent the last 2 to 3 weeks discovering that their financial life was a lot harder without him, it was not Harry's problem.

Harry believed in forgiveness and retribution. If Petunia discovered a conscience now, then she would have to explain why she had treated Lily so bad after Lily went away to Hogwarts and why she didn't share Lily's magical heritage with her. If Dudley couldn't go to private school because the Dursleys did not save enough, it wasn't Harry's fault either. The Dursleys would have to learn to live on the scraps that they had fed Harry. He would forgive them when they showed they were truly sorry. If they stole from him, he expected to be paid in full for the theft.

Ian repeated the question, he asked Harry when he rung the doorbell.

"Are you ready for this procedure today?" Harry had forgotten Ian was even there. Something was wrong.

"What procedure?"

"Harry, you asked me to come with you to Gringotts. You said they had a shaman to help you with the leech on your magic."

Harry was standing in the entryway with a vacant expression on his face. 'I _remember_ something about a leech when we did the ritual. I have no idea what Ian is talking about much less me giving permission for a procedure. What is going on?'

"I remember waking up from that ritual with a splitting headache. When did I tell you about Gringotts or a procedure."

"Where is your ritual reference book?"

"It's in my trunk."

"We are going to walk to the trunk and get it, alright?"

Harry paused. He looked at Ian. "Is there something going on where you cannot tell me the details?"

"Yes."

"Did I set this up?"

"Yes."

"I can't remember because the magical leech is interfering with me remembering."

"Yes."

"Is the magical leech going to interfere with me getting the ritual reference set or going to Gringotts with you today?"

"Yes."

"Please stun me and revive me when everything is in place. I give you permission."

Harry awakened in a small room. The room itself was well lit. Harry couldn't move an inch. His eyes were the only part of his body that could do anything.

Harry could hear two distinct voices. There was someone chanting in the background in a language Harry didn't understand. That voice was far away. It sounded like they were repeating the same phrase over and over and over.

The second voice was next to his ear. He clearly heard and understood that voice. It was familiar to him. It was the voice that told him all kinds of things. Harry just wondered why he was hearing it today. Harry blacked out.

Ian was standing over him the next time he woke up. Harry wondered what he was doing laying down. Ian was supposed to come get him today. He didn't know what was going on. He looked at Ian.

"Am I alright?"

"Yes, the procedure went much better than we thought it would. You are going to be disoriented for 15 to 30 minutes. Then, I will be able to tell you the details."

"Will I regain my memory?"

"I think you will actually be able to have perfect recall in the next hour."

"Can you tell me about the schools and the students in the meantime? I know I asked you to extend the acceptance letters for about 2000 students. I remember I sent some elves with you to Hogwarts to help out. What came of that whole thing?"

"Well, you will be pleased and dismayed. Filius, Hogwarts, and I were able to find 2000 students willing to go to those schools. We asked them to sign a nondisclosure contract concerning your role in assisting them to these schools. They were willing to provide memories of their classroom time and their practice sessions for the year. Some of these students have already left for schools all across the magical world. The others have been anxious about whether we would be able to get them to their destination, whether they would be able to afford all the materials and/or supplies, and whether we all would be able to spend some time together during their winter break.

They are all grateful that you thought to ask the schools to substitute other people for you.

Each school is taking you up on your offer to become a spokesperson for education in their local area. As you can guess and we have discussed, there is no way you can visit each school or be available individually for each school. Each geographical region is going to hold charitable benefits in your name and ask you to advocate for educational access and greater freedom to choose schools. The part you will not like is the number of weekends you are going to miss because you have to travel for these charitable benefits.

We are able to get them to spread these benefits over the next 7 years of your Hogwarts education. They are going to insure you have access to local magic traditions when you visit their region. They said they would ask local bookstores to let you tour their merchandise while you are there. They all seem very flexible."

"Is there a catch somewhere? This seems to be almost too good to be true."

"It is not your generosity that will cause you problems. It is the fallout at Hogwarts which will give you heartburn. No one there is going to know you were involved in this special offer to _would be_ Hogwarts' students. Your entering class at Hogwarts is going to be one of the smallest classes in centuries."

"Why will that be a problem? Won't we get more individualized and personal instruction?"

"Yes. The catch 22 is you will have to become an exceptional student because the teachers will have a chance to focus in on your specifically. The Hogwarts' staff is going to see the work you are doing for the rest of these other schools. They are going to want you to become their billboard for Hogwarts. You don't have a deal with them like you do with the other schools. I have no idea how you are going to talk yourself out of this corner.

"Two things: I have no problem visiting all these magical schools. I went to the local elementary school in Surrey. I didn't have a choice in how the principals or the teachers treated any of us especially when they ignored the way other students treated me. Now I get the opportunity to interact with students all over the world. I get to visit other countries and discover for myself whether other schools might be a better fit for me. For the first 6 years of my education, I was forced to go to Surrey Primary.

As for Hogwarts, I can speak out on their behalf just as I can for every other school. What kind of deal do you think makes sense? I thought the open offer to accept students in my place was generous. What else is going on?"

"You don't have to agree with me, but you should hear something about the British magical government that is not true of the muggle government. All students are not forced or allowed to go to school in magical Britain. All students go to a muggle school regardless of economic status or physical disability. This is not true of most magical countries. As a heir to one of Hogwart's founders, my forebear's most profound wish is that all magical children would be trained to use their magic. I want to fulfill this dream of hers.

You are giving 2000 students a shot at a magical education. It is a generous choice. I ask you to give all magical children the same opportunity. We gave 1600 magical British students the opportunity to go to school. We reached back into the colonial English past to extend the remaining 400 slots to every country the muggle British conquered or subjugated. We want to reach out to these English speaking countries so we can expand the pool of future Hogwart's students. Maybe we bring about the kind of change that the Founders created for Hogwarts.

Even though your class will be the smallest in Hogwarts history, you will see more students at Hogwarts than the last 5 centuries have produced. There will be 8 other schools who are sharing space with Hogwarts this year. You will have the opportunity to see and participate in other these 8 schools' curriculums. When you get on the Hogwarts Express, be sure to read through the packet of information we will provide for each school. You will be given the option of joining the classes which interest you."

"I will think about it. I am not jumping into the middle of this fight without knowing more about it. Give me some history on education in Britain, muggle and magical. Show me how other countries educate their young, muggle and magical. I will see how these 2000 students fare before I stick my nose into the rest of the world. How many magicals are we talking about?"

"It has been reported there are 20,000 magicals in the U.K. The truth is that there are as many as 100,000 people who have the potential to use their magical talent. Only the 20,000 were trained. The other 80,000 live and die not knowing why the strangest things always happen around them. As far as the rest of the world, most nations are not as organized as Britain is to educate these 1 out of 4 candidates.

Some countries like New Zealand have compulsory programs. They have an enlightened sense of obligation to all their brethren, magical and non magical. Others like those in the islands and parts of Africa, South America and Asia refuse to comply with the Statute of Secrecy. Their muggle population know they practice magic. These just label it differently. Other countries barely have a magic school with 500 miles of their population. They are lucky if one magical is educated.

It is an issue you can raise when you visit different schools."

"I will not promise I will do anything until I meet students from different places. If I see the conditions with my own eyes, I will know then if I want to get involved."

"My advice is that you take advantage of these other schools at Hogwarts. This is an opportunity that no other group of Hogwarts students encountered."

First, let me figure out why I had a procedure, what the magical leech did to me, and whether I will be able to start Hogwarts in time. Then, I will concentrate on putting the Potter legacy on firm footing. Later, if there are other people who need my help, I will give what I have available to the test. Ian, I can't save the world when I don't know what is going on with me. What good would I be?

8 - Magic trains wizards as much as wizards train their magic

Ian brought Rancor to Harry. The explanation was going to take more information than he had. Ian needed back up to express all of what he understood. There was a lot of magic that went beyond what wizards knew.

Rancor poked Harry in the shoulder to gain his attention.

"Mr. Potter, you asked for a description of what happened and why you needed an extraction procedure. I am here to discuss what Gringotts has done to protect your wealth and describe the goblin magic involved in this procedure."

While Harry convalesced on the recovery bed, Ian asserted himself so Harry knew he wasn't alone. Ian also had questions he wanted Rancor to answer. "Rancor, could you start with that justice ritual? Harry only remembers pieces of what that ritual entailed?"

"Mr. Potter, you joined my clan by sharing magic with goblins. Griphook was cast out of the ritual circle because the magic embodied by that circle deemed him unfit for the magical bond the other two goblins were willing to share. They explained that you would gain clan status if you shared magic in the ritual. Griphook's deceit reflected Gringotts Bank's duty to you. We are bound to redeem your account as a bank client and reclaim our honor as clansmen against those who orchestrated this deceit."

Harry turned to his side so he was facing Rancor and Ian. "I remember the ritual taking a long time. Did something bad happen during the ritual?"

"No. Something profitable happened when goblin and dwarf magic joined yours. Since you are not aware of how magicals handle threats, you may not understand how you benefit. You had a horcrux feeding from your magic. It acts as a leech by burrowing into your body, magic and soul trying to take you over. It is not only a threat to your life, but it is blight to your magic."

"Ian, you said the leech was blocking me from remembering what happened. How did you get involved in this?"

"The circle dwarves and goblins contacted me as your wizard friend to advise them on your behalf. Magicals see opportunity in hardship. The goblins wanted to begin to redeem the debt the justice ritual revealed. You expressed your life debts to defunct lines could not be satisfied because no female Potter could adhere to the magical contracts. Magic took your misfortune and gave you a way to fulfill those vows and continue to live normally."

Rancor explained more. "Magic had to decide how to compensate you for the leech, Tom Riddle; his role in killing your parents and your grandparents; taking your life, body and magic without consent; and consigning you to the life of neglect and abuse with your muggle family. Goblin and dwarf magic provided a vessel for Tom Riddle's use so magic could negotiate a settlement.

Goblin magic can ensoul Tom Riddle in a new entity. Our policy is to kill all species who dare to circumvent the life span by murdering innocent life. We use older domesticated animals as the new vessel.

Dwarves force murderers to repay their debt to the affected families. When the murderer has repaid the wronged families, they have the option of rejoining society. The debtor is forced to learn difficult lessons by becoming what the family needs most."

Ian took over. "The justice ritual took your need for retribution as a guide for punishing Tom Riddle. Magic demanded Tom Riddle give you a means to fulfill those defunct wizarding lines. He will be bound to you as punishment until he frees you from your debt."

Harry asked Ian, "How is that possible?"

Ian answered. "Griphook told you that Gringotts needed you to fulfill those contracts to those families because their family accounts were still outstanding. Griphook tried to deceive you in acting quickly when you have sufficient time to produce heirs. Hemlot Potter established a 400 year grace period. Magic gave you, Tom Riddle. He will produce those heirs for you.

In order to comply to the contract, it will be your magic and essence which fulfills the bargain. Before you get the wrong impression, there are muggle ways to get gain your essence to use for these heirs. The dwarves have a means for you to give a magical transfusion to these heirs. Magic will restore these defunct lines.

Since Griphook deceived you and the Potter accounts have substantial irregularities, Gringotts is willing to house Tom Riddle during this period. We will give you each child birthed during this procedure. You have nine months from now to figure out how you will raise each child."

Rancor explained the procedure. "The justice ritual gave everyone an idea of what it would take for you to have control of your life, body, and magic. We could not perform the extraction procedure right away. Tom Riddle knew what was going to happen. He tried to direct your attention to other areas so you would not remember to extract him. The dwarves brought the shaman and we consulted a goblin healer. Ian stood in for you as a wizard healer.

Tom Riddle possessed you several times over the first few days so he could negotiate terms for his stay with the goblins. He is trying to find a way to be permanently ensouled again. We explained our stance on horcruxes and what we will do when we find any other horcruxes. As he has continued to press his cause, we've pointed to the dwarves as being Riddle's best option for bringing his pieces back to together.

Your memory is distorted because Tom Riddle has possessed your body periodically since he joined you. He could not absorb your life or your body. Your magic is too strong for him to completely take you over. Before we performed the procedure, he told us he would not cooperate if he had to retain any memory of who he was or what he had done to deserve this punishment. We locked his memory inside you, so he could fulfill the debt. He wants his memories back when these births are completed.

Goblins would kill the horcruxes. Dwarves would release Riddle when he completed his debt. You, wizard, will have to decide for yourself what would be best for wizards."

Ian described the aftermath. "The actual extraction worked fine. Riddle's new body has taken the form of a 16 year old woman. He is starting his first pregnancy. There was a complication with the memories. When Tom Riddle had his new body, he tried to fight to keep his memories and leave the room. The goblins restrained him and took away his entire personality along with all his memories.

Your body rejected the memory extraction process. We don't know how your magic retained Riddle's memories, but you have them. We don't think you have access to them.

You've been here for two hours trying to regain your memory. I'm willing to take you to St. Mungo's to run a complete diagnostic on you. What do you want to do?"

Harry paled as Rancor and Ian told him what happened. "Do I really have a say in this? How is it justice for Tom Riddle to have Potter babies? Why would magic spawn new life by using such a flawed vessel?

Hemlot Potter signed a hundred or more binding contracts in his life. How is it possible for Riddle to have that many children?"

Rancor responded to part of Harry's questions. "Wizard, magic is an independent entity for magic wielders. If Riddle is producing a means to satisfy the contracts, your line can move forward without the debts encumbering your fortunes. The blood curse Asgard Potter placed on his line refuses to spawn new Potter children into bondage. You are satisfying the essence and magic personally. Magic supplied Riddle with a new body. Riddle is supplying the actual vessel. It might have something to do with his desire to take life before 1981. He might see the other side of death in repeatedly giving life. Only magic itself knows.

You will be responsible for rearing these children, but they won't _ever _be Potters. They will take over the governance of this world. You will have much to teach them. If you do it in the right manner, our world will change for the better."

"Harry, let me take you to St. Mungos. You can ask me anything you want about raising children, this debt Gringotts is trying to fulfill, the magical pull these children will have on your magic, or any other situation that arises. Some duties are worse than others." Ian finished his point and collected Harry's clothing.

He asked Rancor about a portkey through Gringotts' wards. "Since Harry can't really process what has happened, Riddle might have been blocking or disrupting more of his mental functions than we originally thought. Please inform the shaman and the Goblin healer that they may be called in the next few days if I can't work out what is wrong here."

Meanwhile Grace Diggory had her first meeting with Xi Chang.

"Thanks for inviting me here today, Grace. Cho has talked to me about Cedric, but I didn't realize that the relationship had developed as far as it has."

"When Cedric started to defend Cho's virtue and consciously blocked other suitors from gaining Cho's attentions, we felt it would be important to get them married before the inevitable happens."

"Cho is already under a marriage contract. She has been engaged since she was four years old. Her binding requires that she produce at least one heir and learn skills which will honor her husband's family."

"Did she take the compatibility test yet?"

"No. Why would she need to take any test when her finance has already been identified and contract reached?"

"House Diggory claims a love match which supercedes all contracts for this girl. Have you asked Cho what she wants? If you ask her and follow the standard for British couples, you will find we have tradition on our side. If you want us to work a compromise out for this other suitor, we are willing."

Xi looked up to the ceiling. As her body relaxed, it seemed she reach a conclusion about what must be said to a new possible family member. "You might have British tradition on your side. The problem is the Chang family is a maternal line. It never made sense for our people to continue lines through males while they continued to fight wars and die.

When Cho has children, her firstborn girl will be the heir of our family. Her next child is promised to her fiancé. If it is the law of Britain that a love match trumps, then Cedric will have to get used to having a wife with two husbands. Cho cannot leave this marriage. It brings together two branches of a feuding family. The Chang family will be united again after 12 generations. The goal is too vital for our future for us to let Cho's or Cedric's hearts dictate.

If you wish to stop this discussion while we bring Cho and Cedric into this discussion, I'm willing to wait. It makes sense to bring each participant into this negotiation because they will all have to live with the outcome."

Across the British isle, Hogwarts completed the work needed to open the school. She used the Sorting Hat to explain the changes to the Board of Governors. Four people had resigned because they had contractual conflicts. Lucius Malfoy, Augusta Longbottom, and Anita Vance waded through countless breaches the Board of Governors committed over the centuries. In the last ten years of governance, the Board had taken a back seat to Albus' excesses. Hogwarts indicated that the Board of Governor's dereliction of duty would no longer be accepted or tolerated.

The three seats plus Hogwart's input changed the school governance structure. The Deputy Headmistress would no longer be head of house and a transfiguration teacher. She would be able to teach special sections of transfiguration, but she would no longer be able to wear more than one hat at a time. The Headmaster had to spend 20 hours on school administration. The Deputy Headmistress had been asked to do too much over the last few decades. If the Headmaster failed, he could be replaced completely or have a co-Headmaster installed to even out the responsibilities.

The head of house positions for each house could retain by Professors Flitwick and Sprout. In order to comply with the freshly enforced rule, they had to concede some of their teaching or mentoring duties to another faculty member(s). Professor Snape was a special case. He had been acting as potions master, head of house, and potions instructor. His responsibilities to the school infirmary were enough to keep a normal apothecary going. He did not need the extra head of house or teaching responsibilities; whereas, Professor Flitwick and Sprout had the option of sharing their workload. Professor Snape would have to fully hand his tasks over to another faculty member. Governor Malfoy won over Governors Longbottom and Vance in allowing to Professor Snape to be solely responsible for the infirmary. He described Snape's inability to find time to create new potions after his success in bettering Wolfsbane. Governors Longbottom and Vance required Mr. Snape to take on NEWT students so the infirmary would be fully stocked. They also referred back to the Founders' history of providing potions to the larger wizarding community. Although the practice had been discontinued under Headmaster Dippet, Hogwarts required the Board of Governors to be true to the school's founding priniciples.

The Heads of Houses were meant to be a central planning committee for Hogwarts resources. Hogwarts noted how the grounds, the farms, the Forbidden Forest, and surrounding mountain had grown wild due to proper maintenance and lack of use. It was the Heads who came together in times past to determine how best to use the land and all within to give the students useful lessons outside the classroom. Hogwarts decided the division of responsibilities would let the teachers had to worry about grades, ranking, and their field; while the heads would be worried about students' activities outside the classroom. Detention would be supervised by the Heads, so they could be useful.

Hogwarts was satisfied. Although the headmasters played an important role in making Hogwarts what it was today, the teacher and staff interaction with students made Hogwart's reputation stick. By the time school opened, McGonagall and Dumbledore would both find their attention focused on hiring more teachers for the expanded number of subjects Hogwarts offered and wooing British students back from abroad. They would not be able to keep up with all the changes she had in store this year.


	9. Chapter 9

- 9 - Change we embrace you.

Ian asked a team of healers to take over Harry's care at St. Mungo's Hospital. He knew he was too close to Harry to look at his care objectively. He had mind healers, resident curse breakers, and child specialists performing a battery of tests. Ian explained as much as he could about the tests and the healers. Harry was impatient about the whole process, but was pleased with the level of attention Ian had given him.

"Healer Tonks, can you explain what Harry's results mean?"

"Yes, I will try to explain the scope of the tests. Harry, you have a number of bone fractures and nerve damage that we need to fix. Our healers will come to Hogwarts to fix your injuries over the next year's time. The bruising all over your body has stunted your growth. We have a means to address each problem area.

You have unique scarring to your magic core and different portions of your brain. It will take a while for us to reverse the damage. While we at St. Mungo's have an excellent staff, we have to consult with some other healers to fully treat your magic core and brain. This injury will not keep you from fully participating in any activities at Hogwarts, but it does explain the memory loss.

Ian informs me he has assembled a team of healers who will work at Hogwarts so we can catch abuse like yours early. We don't want any students to suffer the same fate you have. Ian tells me you found a unique solution to abuse. If your remedy works on abuse, each healer will implement it during the year. Any questions?"

Harry asked, "Will you be coming to Hogwarts to check up on me?"

"Yes, I will. You won't see me before All Hallow's Eve. I think it will take me that long to find the right specialist for your brain and core damage. The other healers present at Hogwarts will handle any follow up care for the nerve damage and bone fractures."

Harry thanked Healer Tonks. He responded, "The Druid ritual I used is not my magic to share. I received permission from Leit and Wyatt to use their family magics. If you need permission to use the ritual, you will need to get in contact with both of them. I combined what I learned from the books I received and used that magic. I can't pass that magic onto you."

"It is an honor for wizards to have a family to extend their magic to a non member. I will follow up on the ritual with the two you mentioned. Take better care of yourself, Harry. I will see you in a few months." Healer Tonks left the room.

Ian took Harry back to his home at Privet Drive. "Harry, if I can offer you any more help, let me know."

Harry extended his hand. When Ian shook it, Harry spoke out. "Magic hear my voice. I release Ian MacKenzie from his life debt. I find him worthy in his service to magic."

Ian was infused with a blue light. The chain links tying Harry to Ian dissipated.

"Thank you, Harry. I can begin my family now. I didn't before because I didn't want to pass my debt on to the next generation of MacKenzies."

A few neighboring cities over, a eleven year Muggleborn girl charged around her house checking her packing list. Hermione Granger had been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Professor McGonagall had visited her home to explain the magic community Hermione was now a part of. She had expected in June that she was all set for her next school year.

Hogwarts had changed her expectations by sending a second letter. Hogwarts had reinstated an exchange program for the upcoming year. They sent an option of going to three different schools for the new year. Hermione accepted entry into the exchange program and selected the Avalon School of Sorcery. Their program offered an introduction into the most subjects. Their graduates did research in a broad range of magic phenomena.

Hermione was looking forward to the peer mentoring program. She hadn't made many friends in her primary school. She hoped going to this school where they offered mentors; she would be easily able to make friends. Flourish and Botts accepted the return of her Hogwarts books and allowed her to buy the new schoolbooks for Avalon.

Her Hogwart's letter assured Hermione that she would be able to meet other Hogwart's students during the short summer session. Hermione could not believe she would get the opportunity to meet two completely different sets of students. She might be able to have books _and_ friends for the first time in her life.

Her parents liked Avalon because they invited them to come to and participate in Hermione's orientation. There was an Avalon parent association which would better introduce them to the magic world and Hermione's studies. The APA had already reached out to the Grangers to explain the permanent portkey they supplied for each parent. Even though Avalon was a boarding school located in Alberta, Canada, Hermione's parents could visit every weekend if they wanted. The Grangers only had one child and refused to lose contact with her.

Hermione was not the only Hogwart's exchange student who was looking forward to the new school year. George and Fred Weasley finally had an opportunity to learn more potion making skills. Instead of receiving a new book list for this new Hogwarts year, they read and accepted an offer to go to Medini Herbology, Alchemy, and Potion School of Magicks. Molly Weasley had a fit.

George and Fred had waited until their father came home from the Ministry before asking him to go. The letter indicated that Hogwarts accepted payment for the year while Fred and George took advantage of learning new subjects. The school was known for helping its students to find jobs or start businesses upon graduation. Arthur Weasley said yes before he had talked it over with Molly. George and Fred quickly thanked him and sent Hogwarts their acceptance.

Later that evening, Ronnie had asked Arthur the same question. He had received a letter indicating he could go to a chess masters school in Russia. He would learn languages, core magic subjects, and the opportunity to get involved in chess and quidditch tournaments. In exchange Hogwarts expectected Ron, Fred and George to be a part of a summer program next year. Arthur also gave permission for Ron to go.

Percy Weasley was as excited as the rest of the boys. He would have his first year at Hogwarts all to himself. He would finally just be Percy, not one of five Weasley boys. This year would be perfect for him. He had his prefect's badge, a girlfriend, and no siblings pranking him. How much better could things get?

Arthur Weasley was pleased that his boys would have more opportunities than he had growing up. Molly was not speaking to him, but he couldn't stand in his boys' way. Bill lived in Egypt. He'd ask Bill to periodically visit George and Fred in Saudi Arabia. The school was hidden away in the desert and isolated from any other people. Charlie lived in Romania. He'd ask Charlie to watch over Ronnie like a hawk. His youngest son was as spoiled as a boy could be. Molly had taken her excessive energy and poured it out on Ron. The boy didn't have the skills to look after himself. Charlie would be able to even out some of Ron's shortcomings.

It might take Arthur a few weeks to get Molly to turn around, but he figured he might as well take advantage of her anger. He took Ginny aside and asked her whether she wanted to join the local muggle school. No matter how much Arthur argued with Molly, he had yet to send one of his children to the muggle schools. Arthur had already spoke to his muggle liaison in the muggle government. They set up an official record for Ginny. He knew she didn't want to be in the house with Molly all day each day. This would give her a chance to see something new and give the Weasleys a chance to do something different.

Headmaster Dumbledore and Deputy Headmistress McGonagall appeared in front of the Board of Governors. Albus had presided over the summer conclave of the International Confederation of Wizards for the previous 8 weeks. Minerva had visited her sister's family in the highlands across the Scottish countryside for past couple of weeks. Neither knew why they had been called to this meeting.

The Sorting Hat presided over the inquiry. He sat in the center of the conference table with 3 governors.

"Albus, you've been called before us to account for the dereliction of duty over your tenure as Headmaster. Lady Hogwarts has become active again and wants to understand why her halls are empty over the summer. She wants to understand why her halls haven't been filled during the regular school year."

Minerva looked to Albus for an explanation. She did not know that the castle was sentient. She had been following Albus' lead for the past two decades.

"Well, we stopped holding summer sessions in 1914. Headmaster Dippet decided the teachers needed time away. During this same period, we stopped housing the students year round. The Ministry reduced the number of students eligible for Hogwarts during the war with Grindenwald. The Board of Governors was co-opted by Voldemort's elite guard twenty years ago. We are not the institution we once were. I've done everything in my power to educate as many children as I can."

"Lady Hogwarts has asked me to be her mouthpiece for this meeting, Albus. Hogwarts stands alone and outside the interference from the ministry. You have not been a good guardian over the legacy of the Founders." Lucius Malfoy handed Albus a list of breaches Hogwarts wanted remedied.

The Sorting Hat continued with Hogwart's grievances with the management team of Dumbledore and McGonagall. Augusta Longbottom had assigned a proxy to cover her votes on the Wizengamot so she could devote her complete attention on Hogwarts. The changes Lady Hogwarts was demanding would change the face of Britain. She wanted to be sure she added her unique touch to those changes.

Lucius Malfoy also wanted to press his mark to changes Hogwarts made. His son, Draco, received a Hogwarts acceptance letter that allowed him to go to Durmstrang for the year. His wife demanded that Lucius allow Draco to go to Hogwarts. He acceded to her wishes so long as Draco got a chance to experience other institutions. Lucius was convinced once Draco experienced a taste of Durmstrang, Draco would insist Narcissa let him stay for seven years. Lucius would retain his influence at Hogwarts without allowing these changes to impact his son's future. It was a win without the direct fight.

Anita Vance watched as Albus was humbled. She did not know what Minerva had been told previously, but it was pretty obvious that she followed the cult of Dumbledore. Governor Vance wondered why Minerva had failed to investigate any of these grievances prior to this meeting. After the initial list had been read aloud and acknowledged, Anita pressed forward in asking questions.

"Minerva, I am curious. How can you be the deputy headmistress and not know what these obligations entail?"

"Anita, Albus never gave me a manual of conduct to follow. I have tried to keep the students fed, educated, and relatively happy. I make sure we have sufficient food, exercise, and rest. I work with all the staff so they can remain competent in their individual fields. I had no idea that the last 3 headmasters had allowed the Ministry to set policy for Hogwarts. It was an oversight I plan to correct as soon as I receive a copy of all the standards Lady Hogwarts expects."

The Board and the Headmasters discussed what the new leadership team would have to do to get Hogwarts back on the right track. They discussed candidates for the available position of head of house. During the dialogue, Minerva and Albus discovered the reduced number of incoming students for the fall. Lucius indicated he was impressed with the new exchange program Hogwarts instituted. Augusta Longbottom announced she was pleased with the new schools Lady Hogwarts had accepted into the building. Her Neville would get a chance to learn new Herbology techniques based on Demeter School of Harvest partnership with Professor Sprout.

Albus told Lady Hogwarts that he would ask Griselda Marchbanks to preside as _Chief_ Warlock of the Wizengamot in his absence. Minerva told Lady Hogwarts she accepted all the changes she had mentioned. Minerva was overjoyed that she would no longer have head of house or transfiguration responsibilities. Her students would have more adults to learn from, but she would finally be able to focus on all the things which had slid through the cracks. It was a great day to be an educator.

- 10 - Arthur Weasley goes AU: An Interlude

"If you do this, Arthur Weasley, I am leaving you!" Molly said this in the middle of _his_ living room. Her hair swirled. Her face flushed an angry red. She was clenching and unclenching her fists. Her body was taunt with grievance.

At that singular moment, Arthur's whole life with Molly flashed before his eyes. He worked at the Ministry of Magic because _she _thought it would be the best job to support his family. They had Bill two years before graduation because _she_ did not want to take the potion for birth control. He lived in _this_ house because _she_ didn't want to live amongst the rest of Clan Weasley.

Here, she stood telling him off about the future welfare of his children because _she_ didn't want them to miss out on all the wonderful things Hogwarts had to offer.

"If you leave, don't stay away for too long. I will give you a year from today. A year and a day, we will be going our separate ways."

Molly screamed one last time. Most of the kitchen appliances flashed into the living room. She called up all of her belongings from upstairs. She packed away most of furniture in the family room.

Her children had been mostly silent in the midst of the argument. With her possessions sitting in the middle of floor, her children went to pieces in front her. Arthur stood next to the door waiting for Molly to make it official.

"Fred and George behave yourself at this new school. No one knows you or this family there. Whatever impressions you make, you will make them for the entire family.

Ronnie, I don't know what you could possibly learn at a chess masters school. I won't be there to wake you up and get you ready for the day. You will need to do everything for yourself. Your older brothers won't be able to smooth everything over either. No one knows the Weasleys there.

Percy keep your grades up. You've made me proud by remaining at Hogwarts. Be sure to write often.

Ginny get your stuff. You are coming with me."

"No Molly. When you go, Ginny stays here. You are leaving this home and this family in a fit of pique. When you go, you go alone. Ginny will be fine. She will have a new routine and learn new things. Be sure to write and let her know your departure has nothing to do with her."

"Arthur! I will not leave my daughter."

"Then, you will be staying here. Ginny has nothing to do with your anger. Why should she have to learn a new way of living away from her home? She will keep all the comforts of home, here at the Burrow."

Molly took a moment. She hesitated. She looked at Arthur by the door. She watched the tears fall down Ginny's face. Arthur made several major decisions without her input. She was doing the right thing.

"Ginny, I am leaving today. I am going to Aunt Muriel's for a couple of weeks first. When I know what I am going to do with myself, you will be the first to know, baby. I know you believed this year without Ronnie would be difficult for you. Arthur's decision for you to go to a muggle school will give you a completely new experience. You go to school everyday. Your father has squib tutors who will work with you, so you understand the basics. Your nights will be a different routine.

I am very angry at your father, but I know he will make sure you get your meals on time and you have whatever money you need. Please floo me whenever you get home from school so we can talk about your day."

Ginny hugged Molly. Molly wept openly. It was a horrible scene. Arthur kept to his resolve. His children's future came first. Both Bill and Charlie were living the lives they wanted to live. They found happiness from the work they did. He wanted that for all of his children. Molly did not think beyond her own needs and wants. Arthur made the only choice available to him. If Molly could not accept his decision, then she was more than welcome to leave the Burrow for as long as she felt necessary.

"Alright boys, take care. Get the most out of learning in your new environment. I will see you during your winter break. I am sure your father and I will work our disagreement out long before then." Molly hugged and kissed each child. She shrank her belongings and put them in a trunk. She looked at _her_ family and _her_ home.

With her back turned to the children, she stepped up to Arthur. A scowl firmly in place, she quietly said, "You should think long and hard about splitting up our family for a matter like where are children will go for an education! Is one year of schooling abroad and in a muggle place worth all of this?"

"Molly, I will do what I must to make sure our children have a future they choose. Is being right more important than having a husband and living with your daughter?"

Molly apparated out of the Burrow trunk in hand.

The boys were clearly upset. Ginny was beside herself. Arthur used his wand to transfigure 3 couches and a chair for the family room. He looked at his children.

"I want each of you to know you always have a home at the Burrow. Weasleys fight. We argue. We lose our tempers. We also will always remain together as a family.

I will support you in whatever choice you make. You are too young to remember the arguments Molly and I had when Bill and Charlie decided they wanted to take careers leading them away from Britain. I took the same position as I have now: your lives will be best served when you make your own informed choices. Molly has a different view.

You have done nothing wrong. Each of you will be set on a particular course based on your school, your friends, your ambition, and your ability to reach out and grab the things you want. I stand firm in my choice to help you make your dreams come true. When you succeed, I will be proud. When you fail, I will be there to help you learn from each mistake.

I am your father. I couldn't love each one of you more. I go to work at the ministry to make sure I have enough money to care for you. This next year will be a growth year for each one of us. We will see where we come out in the end.

Boys, go pack tonight. I have three different schools to take you to tomorrow. Ginny, we are going to visit each school so you get to see the range of options available to you.

The boys ascended the stairs to their rooms. He sat on couch with his arm around Ginny. They sat in silence. He had no idea what the future would bring, but he knew he had to floo Charlie and Bill.

First stop finished. Percy boarded the red train on his way to Hogwarts. Arthur spent the morning explaining what he expected Percy to accomplish during his O.W.L. year. In addition to his exams, he wanted Percy to tell him where he would be working the following summer. He told Percy how Bill and Charlie selected curse breaking and dragon handling by their summer plans after they took their O.W.L.s. Arthur made sure Percy knew he didn't expect him to figure out in one summer or in his fifth and sixth years respectively, but he did want him to explore all his options.

The next stop was for the twins. Medini Herbology, Alchemy, and Potion School of Magicks was set in an austere environment. The permanent portkey Arthur had obtained dropped them off in the bleakest of deserts. Arthur could not see one building for miles around. Fred's and George's instructions said they were to wait for someone to get them. After ten minutes, a woman peeled back a portal like the one taking wizards from the Leaky Cauldron into Diagon Alley. The woman introduced herself as Hamra Taub and gave them a tour of the twins new school.

Hamra explained the twins were invited to come early so they could understand their new environment better. She described the international flavor for their school. The school was completely cut off from their muggle counterparts, but the school had classes to help the students blend in if they ever left the magic section. When the twins saw the potion storage for their dorm, the instruments for the science of chemistry and alchemy, and the hydroponic herbology section; they knew they had made the right decision. They doubted they would go back to Hogwarts after this year.

Hamra gave Arthur a welcome packet with the parent's association information. She told him he would be expected to return for Fred and George when they completed their semester projects. Medini had 1 short break every 4 months. They would be home at Christmas, sometime in early May and the last of August. Arthur and Ginny could visit as much as they wanted.

He, Ronnie, and Ginny hugged both boys. He told them he expected them to write at least once a week and would not tolerate them misbehaving. He didn't write howlers. He would come to Medini and take them back to the Burrow if he heard any bad news. He made sure he received a copy of their student handbook before he left.

Their next stop was St. Petersburg, Russia. The Wizarding community remained here when the muggles moved their capital to Moscow. The temperature difference was pronounced and unbelievable. They could actually see the school and business district laid out before them. Ron would have regular access to Russia's Diagon Alley.

Kashchei Chest Master School of Wizardry was a magnificent fortress. Ron's new head of house met them at the gate. "Welcome, welcome. You are first Western student in a long time. We're surprised you heard of us. My name is Ruslan Peterovich Popov. I will show you around and give you some information about us."

Arthur was thrilled. His son would have strict discipline in this school. Ron was excited because he would be immersed in logic games, riddles, chest tournaments, and war games. They even offered a quidditch league in the spring and summer. Professor Popov assured Arthur that Ron would be a man when he finished this school.

Arthur and Ginny hugged Ronnie before they left. He told Ron that he should use the post box he gave Ron to send him a daily letter. He told Ron he expected him to study hard and make the right choices.

Ginny and Arthur returned to the Burrow exhausted. Three schools in three days was more legwork than Arthur had done before. He wanted his children to know even though they were further away than Scotland, he would be right there if they needed him.

The house was cleaner than the family had left it. They could smell their dinner cooking in the kitchen. Ginny's face lit up. Arthur grabbed Ginny's hand.

"Ginny, don't get your hopes up. I hired an elf, Sarai, to take care of the house and most of the chores. She is willing to stay for a year while Molly and I work this argument through to its conclusion. You will still be responsible for your room and helping with dinner."

Ginny stopped running toward the kitchen and stood in the middle of the floor. Arthur set her down on the couch. He placed his arm around her again.

"I will be working partial days at the ministry for the rest of this year. We will leave here at 7:30 each morning so you can get to school on time. I will pick you up and take you to your tutors each evening after school. We will eat dinner here every evening together.

We will get through this. It might not be what we want, but it is what we have."

They sat on the couch a long time that night.

Meanwhile, Molly was listening to Muriel rant. She wondered whether she sounded like that. She hoped not.

She finished mailing letters to her sons asking how their first day at school had gone. She knew she would not be able to live with Muriel longer than two weeks. She asked herself what she would do with her time now that she was away from the Burrow. She had a lot of thinking to do. She decided she would reach out to Ginny tomorrow.


	10. Chapter 10

Harry sat on the Hogwarts' train in a daze. The last 4 weeks had passed at a lightening pace. He still didn't have all the memories from his Voldemort possessed years back. He knew the healers told him he had a piece of Riddle's memories too, but he did not access to those.

The long term effect of the ritual magic he had dabbled in for the past 4 weeks was unknown. The book said he could use the magic safely, but it seems that the depth of ritual magic laid dormant for some time in this magic world. The healers said he had stumbled upon Druid rituals which had been lost to the ages. They had no direct experience with it.

Harry took risks that he felt like would be necessary for his future. He was surprised that magicals didn't have a scientific method for long term ritual magic use. If they taught transfiguration, charms, and the rest; did they have standards for that field of magic? He wondered whether he was up to the task of researching every ritual he had done. If it work for the druid people and their society lasted for ages before this wizard community had taken form, Harry figured it could work for him. He was committed to doing in the future.

Harry was proud when he went to Surrey High and withdrawn himself from the local schools in favor of a muggle Scottish school. He had first obtained the forms his guardians needed to fill out to complete the transfer, asked Rancor for assistance, and taken the completed forms back to the Surrey school authorites. To complete the muggle transfer between schools, Harry sought adult magicals and goblins who could direct him to a mixed magical-muggle school arrangement. Both groups recommended Arthur Weasley for muggle business. His ministry department extended far beyond its intended scope. He found Mr. Weasley was a great source of a variety of information.

Regardless of how magicals practiced magic, he decided he would incorporate some muggle principles of observation, practice, and repetition in results before he deemed it all safe. After reading and re-reading all the summer Diagon Alley books he received, he thought the rituals needed advanced math and science to function safely. He noted that Hogwarts offered the magical equivalent of math and science-the origin of magic and the nature of the ritualistic symbols through runes and arithmancy-but Harry knew his Rosier inheritance was determined at age 15. If he had to wait at Hogwarts until he was 13 to start taking arithmancy, he might miss the inheritance window his grandmother mentioned in the Dursley ritual.

The muggle math and scientific method might make Harry functional enough to understand the difference he noticed between the justice ritual. His two different experiences with the justice ritual showed him that their needed to be some sort standards or controls when he practiced this magic. He was willing to participate in the justice ritual repeatedly so he could establish a baseline for ritual magic, but he figured he should study the scientific or magic research method first.

He already had questions about the whole thing. Why did his magic combine with the dwarves and goblins so he could uncover the Riddle leech? Why didn't the Dursley ritual uncover Riddle? Why did magic bring the deceased family to help judge the current family and not for Riddle's judgement? Why didn't the pregnant Riddle piece communicate with whatever was left of Voldemort the night since Riddle killed his mum and dad?

He figured some unknowns were unknowable, but if he was going to extend the magic involved in the ritual like Healer Tonks indicated-he needed to know what he didn't know for reliable results. In fact if magicals just wanted magic to work and didn't care about the details, then he would have to do all the work himself. He might be able to make a career out of finding out why or knowing how far to push what wasn't known. Mr. Weasley had been a great help when he discussed all the ways magicals had enchanted muggle goods to operate for magical purposes. Maybe the rituals he had could work in a broader context? The possibilities were mind bending.

Harry had learned from Asgard Potter that he would be the sole provider for his family's well-being. He was going to enjoy his time at Hogwarts in ways he had never been able to relax and enjoy school with Dudley, but he also had nine maybe ten months to figure out how he raise the Hemlot heirs.

He had a faint notion of Mary Poppins acting as governess for his children or a midwife who could wet nurse a baby until they were weaned. Since he didn't know what to do about all of this, he figured he'd find out as he moved forward. He had even found a magical version of the old lady who lived in the shoe where she decided to use a ritual to manage the needs of so many different children. The good news was Ced would be in a similar situation as Harry. With all the MacKenzie heirs he was responsible for the providing Ian, Ced and his fiancé would have plenty to manage while they attended Hogwarts. Harry was sure Cedric and he could find a way to keep their children with them and go to school at the same time.

A blond chubby boy came into his compartment looking for a toad. He invited the kid, Neville, to sit with him. He had noticed this charm in his supplemental quiwk spell grade 4 book.

"Neville, can you tell from this book how to perform this spell?"

"I thought these spells were for squibs, Harry. Why do you have squib books?"

"What difference does it make if it works? A squib in my neighborhood, Ms. Figg, told me that she was able to get these spells to work for her. She said they work because the reader just has to get the movements right to exercise the spells.

Ms. Figg told me this company, Qwik Starts, used formalized ritual magic to draw out ambient magic to power spells. Ms. Figg said these were the same movements we, magicals, use in our spells except we did not have to rely on our magic cores. She told me purebloods had left squibs to fend for themselves in the muggle world and looked down on qwik spells because our magic cores didn't have to be engaged. We don't have to use our wands for these."

"So squibs can use ambient magic for spells?"

"Yes. Don't you know any squibs?"

"Let's find Trevor, my toad. Then, I will give you the history of magical politics and squibs."

The animated book demonstrated the motion needed and spell pronunciation. They both used their entire arm to create the movements. Neville called out the _accio_ spell for Trevor. After a few moments, the toad floated into the cabin. Neville smiled broadly.

"All this time I thought I was a squib. I dreaded what would happen to me if my family found out. I had no idea magic could be put to use without engaging my core. My life would have been so much easier."

"It still can. I plan to use these qwik spells to work through Hogwarts curriculum. They have a set to match each area. If I continue to use these, I won't have to depend on my wand. If I can learn it both ways, why not do it? You never know what you may need."

"I see your point. My grandmum only allows me a certain amount of spending money. I can't purchase these books for myself. Would you be willing to share your books with me?"

"Depends."

"Tell me what it depends on."

Harry extended his hand to Neville. "Do you want to be friends?"

Neville grinned. He took Harry's hand. "Sure, it is a deal."

Harry and Neville spent an hour talking and getting to know a little more about each other. As their conversation winded down, a table filled with food appeared next to the door. A house elf told them that Lady Hogwarts wanted each student to be fed and given a handbook of the school rules and student privileges on the trip. In an hour, the house elf would return to clear away the food and take any questions to the heads of house waiting on the platform.

After Harry and Neville read the handbook, they saw a schedule of course descriptions at the end of the handbook. The handbook directions requested that each student indicate their level of interest and turn their handbook over to the elf when he returned. Harry conferred with Neville on what sounded best to him in the handbook. They decided they would stick to the same courses and express the same level of interest.

When the house elf returned for the platter, Neville asked him whether first years would take a new series of classes this fall. The house elf said the new courses were offered by new schools. Each student could audit classes at these schools. The classes would take place throughout the year and would be scheduled at odd times throughout the year. The house elf asked Harry and Neville to write down all their questions before he returned to the castle so the heads of houses knew how much they had to explain.

Across the country, Arthur wrestled with his own set of new options. Arthur had successfully sent all of his children to school. Ginny was being tutored this week so she could blend in with her cohort next week. Arthur decided his underling, Perkins, could take over managing the active casework in his ministry office. Arthur would use his talents on some of the passive magic he had created in his shed.

The ministry owed Arthur for his work as an unspeakable in the last blood war. He called in some favors so he could take up his position as department head for muggle items. The only people who he reported to directly was Madam Bones, the Head of Law Enforcement, and Minister Fudge. The minister had no use for what he did or created as Fudge thought Arthur was beneath his notice.

Arthur approached Madam Bones about working off site with Perkins left in the visible role for his department. He told her that he was going to follow Gale MacKenzie's example. His department had the muggle mandate and little to no appreciation. He would work from home, return to the ministry for staff or Wizengamot meetings, and trade off active investigations for particular device research. Madam Bones knew he would still honor their original agreement he had made when he transferred to his department.

He let Madam Bones know that he was thinking about switching to an inactive status for law enforcement like Head Auror Alaster Moody. If Perkins had problems training new people, Arthur Weasley would step in. Otherwise, Arthur thought this was a good way to start a business using enchanted muggle devices.

His conversation with Harry Potter about gaining a muggle education appealed to him. Arthur Weasley had a hazy business plan for manufacturing charmed cars. He might be able to get a waiver like broom makers received to enchant broomsticks. Stan Shunpike took about a year to get clearance to create the Knight Bus. Arthur figured he could market enchanted cars to Muggleborns. He had his Ford Aguilera as his prototype for ministry approval. He needed to come up with a line of big ticket projects which could sustain his children as they completed school, bring his curiosity and zest for muggle ingenuity together with his need to discover new things, and give him a nest egg for the future.

If Molly returned home within the year, Arthur doubted she would know what to say about all the changes he was instituting. He never expected to stick with the ministry for as long as he did. Molly always told him his ministry job gave their family stability. In some ways, it had. Arthur was interested in reaching for the things that made him happy and made his work mean something. Arthur would use the time given him to reach as far and as wide as his imagination took him. If this business venture didn't work, he'd return to work in his department. If it did work, he would look forward to making his ministry career a distant memory.

Percy Weasley was on a different path completely. He thought he would love to work for the ministry. He had completed his first step in gaining a good position within the power elite. He was a fifth year prefect. The twins teased him about having the honor of gaining extra responsibilities, but they didn't appreciate the level of extra privileges prefects earned. They would gain leadership and management training for prefects within the school, but the school administration also brought in external trainers for managing ministry departments or organizing prefect's start up businesses. If he could seek out a competent master, he could directly apprentice to gain these skills.

As a Weasley, he could not afford an apprenticeship. He would have to work as soon as he left Hogwarts. If he was lucky, he might be able to find a business to work through each summer. Being a prefect was his one path to gaining the exposure to the trainers and access to their ministry contacts. Without George and Fred at Hogwarts, he might be able to find like minded Gryffindors without the ridicule the twins inspired.

The candy lady knocked on the prefects' carriage to offer her wares during the prefect meeting. The train ride had been nicer this year than Percy's other four years combined. The handbooks being given out to the rest of the student body was new. He also was surprised when the elves offered them lunch midway during the trip. Someone must have told the Headmaster that a 6 hour train trip without a solid meal didn't make too much sense for school children. Percy was content overall. There had been no problems so far on this journey.

Oliver Wood was the only friend he had made in Gryffindor. Oliver also had a singular focus. He devoted his time and energy in researching all the players who could give him access to a professional quidditch team. He could quote team statistics by heart. Oliver took the time to gather details on draft picks. The information he gain normally stood outside of publicly released documents. Oliver understood exactly what it would take to gain entry to the professional world and be on the inside.

Ultimately, Percy just wanted to be a part of something bigger than him and be accepted for who he was. His desire to be on the inside is what drove him to do all that he did. Hopefully, one day he'd wake up and finally be on the inside. He wanted that kind of camaraderie more than anything.

Albus, on the other hand, needed his insiders to recommend a better future course. Grindelwald and his brother, Aberforth, were the only ones who knew him through all the twists and turns of his life. Albus had sought them both out when he realized just how different his school year would be. The group met at the Alberforth's bar, the Hog's Head.

"I've called you both here today because I have lost sight of the greater good. Lady Hogwarts has announced her presence to some of the staff. She has rededicated herself to the goals of the Founders. She has taken over administrative functions and has directed our steps toward fulfilling that vision. As a young headmaster, I believed in their vision of a larger wizarding community, set apart from the muggle wars. This sentient castle has updated those ideals and has taken steps to make it happen.

I don't know how to implement my plans to educate Harry to defeat what's left of Riddle and how to fulfill the mission here at Hogwarts. I am on the cusp of my life's work being completed, but here I am being forced to manage Harry. I kept him safe from death eaters for over 10 years. Now, I think Harry's presence at Hogwarts will pull my attention away from that same greater good. What can I do?"

Grindelwald was the first to respond. "Albus, you are a grey lord. You fight your nature too much.

You stopped me from meeting my goals 50 years ago. You pulled me back from the abyss. You gave me the opportunity to set right what I tore down. I have faithfully served humanity all these years.

I never stopped wanting a wizarding world which lived in the open. We shouldn't have to hide who we are so the muggle masses don't overtake us. I did it wrong the first time. I am doing it better now.

Your day in the limelight as the mover and shaker is coming to a close. Harry is the next white wizard. In time, he will begin to grey as you did. Let your light diminish so he can take up the mantle. Find a mentor for the boy. He will find his way as you found yours. Give him guidance when he needs it or when he asks for it.

Let us spend our twilight years together. There is plenty of work for us to do in the background. After over hundred years of public service, isn't now the time to let Minerva take the reigns at Hogwarts?"

Dumbledore was startled. _"Can I really quit and let it all go?"_

Aberforth responded. "Yes, you can retire. You can retain an emeritus headmaster position. Minerva can become the active headmistress while you protect Harry for the next seven years by remaining at the castle.

You can work at passing on the Dumbledore legacy to an heir. You can do a blood adoption and give them the rich inheritance our family gave us. As Gellert says, you don't have to be the only one slaving away, mentoring Harry, running Hogwarts, fighting the ministry, and single handedly preserving what is best for British magicals here and abroad.

You do love all your jobs, but they ask for more than you can give. You initially started out as a teacher. Why not return to your first love on a one on one basis? Get your affairs in order and be available to answer any and all questions your empowered associates have for you. You will then know if your work amongst these various jobs will live beyond you. Pull back."

"Gellert, what will our life together be like? We haven't been in a relationship for over 60 years.

Aberforth, what is the Dumbledore legacy at this point? What could we possibly pass on?"


	11. Chapter 11

_And so begins Harry Potter's journey into secondary schooling for mundane students and his entry into Hogwarts. It should be noted, dear reader, that Harry is not only a firstie but is also a member of a magical world as vast and as changeable as its members. _

_So far Harry has only encountered British purebloods, sentient magical beings in whom wizards have reservations (ie. Half wizard/giant, dwarves, elves, and goblins). This world is as new to Harry as it is to alternative universe of readers. There is no should be or must not be. Harry's new world is filled only with what is possible._

_Of course, there are plenty in the magical world who believe they can and will corner the market for the Boy Who Lived. Harry has his own dreams of who he can be and where he can go. As he moves through his education, he will make his own choices about what seems best for him._


	12. Chapter 12

Hagrid met the train at Hogsmead. "First years, this way. This year we are doing a few things differently. Come with me to the castle." The first year students followed Hagrid to the boats to see the beautiful bucolic view of their next seven years. It was awe inspiring and wondrous. Harry felt like he had come home for the first time.

The heads of house called roll for the older students. The elder pupils sorted by the responses written in the handbook.

Professors Sprout and Flitwick led part of the upper classes away to board the carriages to the north entry levels. The charms corridor was the located on the north side. The greenhouses were located on the grounds slightly east of this corridor. The elves provided light snacks and refreshments. The students would still have a main dinner feast and be able to associate with their friends. The heads of houses set a new tone for the year by distinguishing Hogwart's new priority.

Former professors McGonagall and Snape met the remaining older students. They led them to the south entryway which housed the potions and hospital corridor. There were two new heads of houses waiting for the students. The light snacks and refreshments sat by the door.

Both groups discovered that McGonagall and Snape had taken on different responsibilities within the proper administration of the school. The older students had been divided so the staff could explain that each group would be responsible for a different practicum of group projects. Hogwarts provided each student with an overview of past projects students made to improve Hogwarts. The first group project would be assigned from the heads of houses. The next group project would be created from assigned groups. It could be anything the group chose. The last group project of the year be from year mates and also be of their choosing. The most remarkable past projects had been the floating staircases which changed at random or the ever changing classrooms. Few areas in the castle had remained untouched by the creativity of her students.

Snape spoke for his side of the group projects after they had introduced the new system. "As you have all had me in the past, you know that I only allowed students who received O scores on their O.W.L. exams to continue N.E.W.T. potions. This year you who have received an O are invited to practice your potions skills in a different format.

Normally potions class consists of lecture and a demonstration of skill. Your new potions mistress, Bonita Applebom, will handle the lecture in a 30 minute format three times a week. Your section will be divided for practical demonstrations among the infirmary, the apothecary, and the building construction and repairs."

McGonagall stepped in to say, "We have decided you need to learn how to combine your skills between subjects. Past students working with professional builders created Hogwarts. It was a time in our history when we were still known to muggles. Goblins, dwarves, elves and the founders (later to became known as heads of house) worked over several generations to fine tune and repair this castle. In doing so, Britain created some of the strongest magic wielders the world had. They built mansions which have lasted for over a 1000 years.

Our founders donated a portion of their life essence to Lady Hogwarts. We have a sentient building. She needs us to work on this edifice, practice our skills and become masters of our subjects. We will again become brightest minds and wield the strongest magic again.

Today, you notice a swath of your classmates is not here. This is true because your classmates are visiting other schools this year. We want you to experience a sampling of different magicks across the world. You will have the same opportunity next year. We even plan to invite a few students from abroad to study at Hogwarts next year. You will work harder this year than any past year.

For those of you who are N.E.W.T. and O.W.L. year students, our year long assignments use much of what you will study for your exams. Each one of you will test the strength of your magic in the skills needed to complete each task. Two towers have withered down to uninhabitable proportions. We will concentrate on rebuilding the interior and reinforcing the exterior areas of this tower. We have licensed trainers who will come to Hogwarts and show you how to put together the towers.

In exchange for the year long project and the amount of work you are going to do, you will be able to audit several courses normally not taught at Hogwarts.

Madam Hooch is responsible for overseeing the quidditch training clinic that will be offered throughout the year for students who have made the team and those who haven't. Several major quidditch stars will train interested clinic participants on flying techniques. The harder you work, the more chances you will have to participate in this unique set of opportunities.

Madam Burbridge is set to create four game/recreation rooms for each house. She is going to incorporate her muggle and wizarding games into each area. Since you will work so hard each day, we want to provide you ways to relax that your current common rooms don't provide. You will use all kinds of techniques in building those rooms but you will also learn how to enchant walls and have first dibbs on any activities happening in your houses. Please keep in mind that these rec rooms will only be open when classes are _not_ in session.

Madam Sinestra will be applying runes to the new astronomy tower. There will be a muggle planetarium incorporated into this tower. She will enchant the walls with her N.E.W.T. students learning rituals which we usually don't get a chance to practice. By the end of the year, Hogwarts will be filled with activities and classes we have not brought together under one roof.

Finally, Professor Vector will set up logic puzzles and games using arthmancy. These are closer to the muggle engineering science. She and Professor Burbage want the students to come to understand how we magicals can embrace the moon and some of the space exploration muggles have been doing."

Professor Snape regained the floor. "You have been brought here, given a snack, and briefed on new things Hogwarts can teach you and how our operation will change. Your reduced numbers will not be noticeable in the Great Hall because there are different students sharing our classroom and building space this year.

Each school has a different concentration. You can audit their class by observing their lessons. We have a pensive viewing for each school here. After that presentation, you will need to write down your level of interest in each program. We will set aside viewing hours throughout the day where our students can participate. Please be aware if you have a further interest, most schools are willing to let you sit in on their classes if you are willing to contribute something to their program."

Professor McGonagall took over the discussion. "I want each of you to know you don't have absorb all the details tonight. Because all of this is so new, we will repeat ourselves over the next few months so you can figure out what the new possibilities are. Take care to talk to your professors and your new house mates."

Professors Flitwick and Sprout gave the same basic speech except they added a few things. The group project on castle north was to establish a series of connected stables similar to the greenhouse configuration. This group would maintain the previously established greenhouses for Professor Sprout. In addition to that, they would build the stables Hagrid wanted to house the magical creatures Care of Magical Creatures professor wanted.

The way they explained it, Hogwarts was going to return to the rangling and farming business; in addition to the beast master, potioneering, and herbology masteries. Students at Hogwarts used to maintain the grounds so that they always had fresh food, fresh ingredients, and a means of treating any and all ailments which came through the infirmary. Once the Ministry of Magic was established in the 1500s, Hogwarts started outsourcing its goods and services to ministry approved licensees and ministry regulation. The Forbidden Forest and Hogsmeade were both a part of Hogwarts. The forest was a reserve for sentient magicals and a boundless zoo for the remainder of the magical species. The centaurs shared management of the forest with Hogwarts. The Ministry of Magic thought it could regulate the forest once Hogwarts reduced its activities. It had become more dangerous the longer it was left to its own devices.

Two schools which would be housed at Hogwarts this year would help Hogwarts student and staff reclaim the forest: Centaur Spear, Herd, and Forest Preserve School and Hagrid's own, Giants Live Amongst Us Mentoring Service. At Hagrid's urging, several animal herders had come to help care for the grounds and forest. They had a ten year plan to reclaim what had been lost.

The first years had been taken into the corridor where the kitchens lay. Hagrid introduced Professors Burbage and Hooch to the students.

"This is our first year giving a presentation to you, the first years. Normally, you would not see me before your first flying lesson. I am Madam Hooch. You would see Professor Burbage during your third year if you took Muggle Studies.

This year, you will see us both quite often. We have taken responsibility for setting up each school we are sharing Hogwarts with this year. After you have completed your Hogwarts' schedule, we will take you to observe the other schools. By observing these other schools, you will get an idea of what the wider magic world has to offer you.

For today, we are going to take you on a tour of Hogwarts. Our first stop is the kitchen."

Harry and Neville had decided to stay close together. Neville let Harry know that this was nothing like what he heard the first day at Hogwarts would be. It wasn't unwelcome but it was definitely off putting. Harry was just glad these two women would be responsible for guiding him throughout the year. He knew it was easy to get lost in a new place. As a first year, a guide definitely helped. There were only 20 other first years, so he had a hard time believing he would get lost in the mass of people.

When they entered the kitchen, Harry and Neville both were glad to see house elves. Harry noted that the Potter elves were still here.

Professor Burbage spoke once the entire group was in the kitchen. "For you, muggleborn, these sentient magicals are called house elves. They serve the castle diligently throughout the year. The cook, they clean, and they keep up the maintenance of the castle. If you ever need anything, a group of house elves are assigned to each house. We treat each magical being with respect here.

Mimsey, please tell the firsties what you have on the menu for tonight."

She had a roll call for each meal course: appetizers, main course, dessert. She explained how the kitchen was set up and how the elves provided for meals in the Great Halls.

Professor Burbage continued her explanation. "This year will operate a little differently. We will still provide three meals in the Great Hall. We will also provide light meals for the times the student body splits to complete the projects in castle north and castle south. You will burn a lot of calories this year, so you will need to eat periodically throughout the day. You are more than welcome to come to the kitchen directly, but you will find we evenly space your meals throughout the day.

We have been invited to participate in Derringer's Bistro classes. House elves will split between tasks in Hogwarts and learning how to better prepare colonial food. Derringer's Headmistress Anise has been adamant as a condition of her teaching at Hogwarts that house elves get as much an education as the students. It has been years since anyone has taken an interest in how elves are trained to cook."

Professor Hooch led them out of the kitchen area. They took a long route to the infirmary. Professor Hooch introduced Madam Pomfrey.

"This Hogwarts have been graced by St. Mungo's with a group of healers who will do your initial medical screening. Their presence will give me a chance as a mediwitch to qualify for healer certification.

I have faithfully presided over Hogwarts for ten years. In my time here, I have seen a lot of illnesses which could have been treated prior to entry to Hogwarts. I have begged St. Mungo's to take an active interest in Hogwarts students so their staff would take a greater interest in community treatment programs. This year I have gotten a positive response and hope I can lead the way in Hogwarts and St. Mungo's caring for more patients.

Much of your work and time this year will be devoted to dispatching potions and herbology ingredients. Those ingredients will help this infirmary become fully functional. We all appreciate the effort you will take in handling those ingredients. It is your education today, but it might be someone's life tomorrow."

Madam Burbage left the infirmary first and took the lead in walking the group to Madam Pinch in the library.

"Hello. As you can see, we have an extensive collection of books ranging across all different areas of Magic. This main branch is open from 7 am to 10 pm. We have study and meeting rooms at the top of the stairs for group projects. We also offer a reference librarian to help you navigate your way through our collection.

This year, we have opened a branch in each common room so we can service your needs when the main library isn't open or you can't make it across the castle to us. Please be courteous to the new dormitory librarians."

Harry broke away from the rest of the first years to see if he could find that room Ian told him about. He said:

_There is a wall panel next to the Restricted section. Place your heir's ring next to the painting of Merlin. Most pureblood families know to walk directly into this room from their common room. _

He found the painting. He brushed his ring finger along the wall next to the painting.

Neville walked away from the group to find Harry before the firsties left the library. He stood next to Harry as the door appeared out of the stone. He looked at Harry to explain the door.

Harry said, "I will tell you all about it later. I just want to stick my head in the room to see what is available."

Both Harry and Neville walked through the door. Both heirs could see a vast expansive library much bigger than the one outside. It was shockingly large. A portrait was set up as a greeter for this new area.

"Hello new heirs. Welcome. Close the door upon entering."

Harry and Neville followed the portrait's instructions and separated themselves from their group.

"As you can see the education available for the Head of Household is much more intense than any regular Hogwarts students. The founders asked the original landowning families for continuous contributions to get this school properly equipped and in return received the promise that their heirs would be educated beyond what individual family library's could supply. Most families have passed this secret down to each generation. As families have died out, fewer students have been introduced to their legacy here at Hogwarts. It is up to you to pass on the secret to succeeding generations.

Since you came to the library with a group, you should know that time does not work the same in this room as it does outside. You have as much time to study and develop your understanding of your role in wizarding society as you need. All books contained in this section of the library will be read here. Your notes or any copies you make can leave this section. Please understand you have complete access to this area at all times and all hours of the day.

Any questions?"

Harry did have a few questions. He exchanged looks with Neville to see if Neville wanted to ask first. Neville took the floor.

"Keeper, how long as it been since a Longbottom visited this room?"

The keeper's response was simple. "It has been at least three hundred years since I've seen one of your forebears."

"Do you know if this room is only available to Heads of House who contributed to Hogwarts since its founding or is it later lines who have contributed since?" Neville looked concerned.

"Only families which existed since Hogwarts founding have access. The later families have created new rooms in Hogwarts for its heirs. Before you ask, there is a Potter and Longbottom set of rooms. If you want to reside in them during your time here, quietly ask your house's head to show you to your unique rooms."

Harry asked his questions. "Is there a way to connect our dorm room directly to this room so we can sleep there and study here in the early morning or late at night when we are supposed to say in our dorms?"

The keeper asked Hogwarts if the students could be connected directly to this room without having to leave their dorm rooms. When Lady Hogwarts responded, the keeper told Neville and Harry "the door will only appear to you. You will still need your heir ring to open the door. Your roommates will see a mirage for a moment and will see you when you return from this room in the next moment."

Harry followed up on his line of inquiry. "I am studying at a muggle school during the next seven years, will I be able to use this room if some of my classes are offered here at Hogwarts and there at the same time? In other words, if I run into a conflict of classes being offered at the same time can this room help me do both?"

The keeper replied. "In times past, the time function was used for heirs who had to attend to their property business and attend Hogwarts. In order to be a full time student and a full time heir, their days were split between here and their business outside of Hogwarts. If you look along the wall there is a time compression function that can take you back in time so you can be in two places at once.

I serve as librarian and reference expert for the books contained here. If there are muggle reference books you need to research, you will need to contact the head librarian Madame Pinch so she can update Hogwarts library. Right now, she has an extraordinary book budget to keep Hogwarts library current and cutting edge. If she fails to do her duty, it is grounds for dismissal."

Harry looked at Neville. "I know we are in the midst of a tour, but I want to understand what opportunities this gives me for my time here at Hogwarts. If Hogwarts offers hidden facts for the magical world, I want to know how to use the next seven years to maximize what I learn. I might as well start today.

A lot of life changing things have happened to me in the last month. I haven't had a chance to sit still long enough to think all of it through. If I can figure out how to chart out my next few steps and not waste any time out there in doing so, I need to take hold of this opportunity."

Neville turned to the keeper. "I want to read all the books you have about the Longbottoms. I want to know all I can about the grounds, the plant life and apothecary business you have. If I have some way of knowing how much you have here to read and how much I need to know, I can figure out how long it will take me to get through all of it."

Harry added to Neville's inquiry. "I have started working with improving furniture and created portals. I have permission from Ezekiel Wyatt and Ian MacKenzie to use their family magic. I want to know how it works. I'd like to reproduce what Ollivander does with binding magical materials with wooden wand cores to make functional, magicly focused furniture. If buildings can become sentient and ambient magic can be used by squibs, I'd like to create lines of furniture to focus magic within a dwelling. I'd like to see if a home can maintain itself for its owners without any sentient being having to do anything. I did chores everyday. I want to see if I can get furniture to be able to take over those tasks.

I also want to read whatever you have written here about the Potters especially if we are a cadet line of another magical family or any cadet lines of the Potter family. Throughout the time I am here, I am going to want to get a handle on the life debts I owe or which are owed to me. I want to get some idea of the history of life debts and how they've been used to resolve different situations through the ages."

Harry stopped talking to the keeper and called for the head elf. "Argile, can you bring me a journal? I want you to assign a Potter librarian to this room."

The keeper had already started providing Neville with a list of books which could provide him with a mastery in herbology. Neville sat at a desk with a carriage of books for each topic he asked the keeper to show him. The keeper explained that Neville had a limit of ten books until he completed his study.

Harry sat at a desk with a few journals Argile brought him. The new librarian elf, Whitney, cross referenced the books the keeper gave Harry with books in the Potter library. Harry asked Whitney about the Potter library. "Where is the library, Whitney? I have two properties that I know about 4 Privet Drive and Godric's Hollow. Is there a source book for all the books I own?"

"Yes, Master Harry. There are several libraries: the largest collection is at Potter Manor, Lily's collection is stowed in a library trunk here at Hogwarts with the rest of your letters, the rest of the collection is spread across your other homes."

"How many homes are we talking about?"

"You have about 2 dozen homes."

"Who is currently living in them?"

"Just us elves."

"Can you split off an living space for me in each home, store away any Potter heirlooms and be prepared for boarders as soon as the listing service I used for Privet Drive and Godric's Hollow can send them?"

"Yes, Argile can handle it."

Argile popped in and took over the discussion. "Master, you don't need a listing service. We can find plenty of working witches and wizards who need a temporary or long term living space. You don't have to share the money you make from your property with someone else."

"Thanks. I want you to set aside the percentage I would have paid the listing service. You elves use it to update the property in whatever way that will increase the value of the property. Can you do that for me?"

"Master, elves don't make decisions like that."

"My elves make decisions all the time. Didn't you tell me that I did not need a listing service? You also told me all the crops we are growing at Godric's Hollow should not be sold. You said we should preserve a quantity so that we have them should our country go to war, if there is a famine, or we need to move to an area that has no provisions and they won't accept our money.

Those were all good ideas. You have my permission to think about all kinds of factors I don't know anything about, use those ideas to safeguard my interests, and act independent of my say so. Can you follow through with that as the Head Elf for all Potter properties?"

"Yes, Master. I will do my best."

"Argile, I already have your best. I am pleased with everything you do. Use the libraries; consult with the dwarves, goblins, or any other group you need help from; and ask as many elves as you think you need to help manage the Potter assets. Understood?"

"Yes. I will do as you say."

"Before you go, Argile-are the rest of the elves happy switching off between their Potter chores and the Hogwarts work? Do you have too much to do? Is there something I could be doing for you but I have not given you access?"

"Master, we have been idle for 10 years. We finally are working again. We are enjoying every minute of it. With us spread out so far, we haven't interacted with each other as much as we could. Do we have permission to contact as many elves as we can to help us complete our tasks? We will share what you give us to each elf."

"Hire on as many as I can afford to provide for from the percentage the listing service would have received. If the house elves are not satisfied, come tell me what else I can do to help."

"I will let Master know."

Argile left. The keeper commented. "Heir Potter, do you know how much freedom you gave that house elf."

Harry looked at Whitney and glanced at the keeper. "I don't know the history of magicals, Keeper. I was raised in the muggle world. I learned that we, English, along with our colonies participated in the slave trade. We operated on a slave economy for about 200 to 300 years before we chose to do something different because we Englishmen recognized there was no real profit in enslaving other people.

When I learned I owned house elves, I set out to free them. My elves asked me to reconsider setting them free because their magic is bound to my family line. If I set them free, they as sentient magical beings will not be able to practice magic any longer. I don't feel comfortable owning elves, but I don't want to be responsible for them losing their magic.

I will offer them as much freedom as they allow me to provide. If I find a way for them to operate completely independent of me, but bound by my line I will do it. They can practice making my properties profitable. They have more experience than I have and will probably make better decisions for magicals who have to do everything for themselves.

I already have several big items to take care of. I have no idea how I can manage 24 additional properties. I thought I was doing well working with two. Argile can do no worse than I have done on my own without any additional guidance.

Do you have suggestions for me to manage my properties?"

Neville replied. "I can ask my Gran to include you on my heir training she has given me. She has done different things to make the Longbottoms' land profitable. She also has been training me to take up my role in the Wizengamot. She can show you what your responsibility in governing our people is."

"Sign me up, Neville. I have no idea what is expected of me."

"Well, Heir Potter, you are going to get a classical education for British nobility from the founding of Hogwarts to present day. Our portraits are going to instruct you on the history of each sentient being. If you look to that blank frame in the corner, we will give you a lecture and some books for each portrait speaker throughout the castle. By the time you leave this building, you will know our complete history.

Heir Longbottom, do you have an interest?"

"As I look around this room, I realize there is a whole lot I don't know. I will benefit as much as Harry. It looks like there is a great deal of forgotten history for us to learn. I will be here for your lectures."

"OH! Whitney, you said something about Lily's collection? What is that? Why is it here at Hogwarts?"

"Young master, you have received letters from over the last 10 years since we lost Master James and Mistress Lily. The Headmaster brought Lily's enchanted trunk here after Hagrid took you to Privet Drive. He let us take as much as we could salvage away from Godric's Hollow after He Who Must Not Be Named was pushed from his body."

"When Neville and I leave here, I want you to take as many house elves as you need to transport all my letters and packages to Theresa and the other ladies. They can sort through all you find. You can take my mother's trunk to my room here at Hogwarts. If the Headmaster asks, tell him you are taking Master Harry's possession back. Please check back periodically to make sure none of my belongings are hanging out with people who don't have my personal permission to have them. If you find my belongings else where, you tell whomever asks unless they have my direct permission they cannot keep them.

Tell the other elves to be on the look out for anyone who is taking advantage of this little orphan Potter. If they are cheating me out of my inheritance, I want it to stop. You each decide how best to get my possessions back."

Neville and Harry both fell asleep after a few hours in the Heir's Room. The keeper awoke them after they had a nap. "You should rejoin your group. There is nothing to be gained from burning out in the beginning. Be consistent in studying, but take regular breaks. See you both later."

The keeper left his frame. Harry and Neville straightening their garments, touched up their hair and met their classmates in the main library.


	13. Chapter 13

Etiquette and Correspondence: The things Harry can't seem to get away from.

-0-0-0-

Dear Harry,

You received this letter today. Theresa, Abby, and I discussed Tatum, the letter writer. You told us to sort your mail and pass on things that you _should_ handle. We decided you generally want to help people as much as you can.

You helped Tatum get into Delacroix. Now that he is out for the time being, maybe you can help his family get on their feet. Let us know whether we decided correctly in this case.

We've continued to forward the lady fan mail to Madam Beverly. We've saved Cedric and you a few letters that you will absolutely love. We have set aside the families who want to talk to you about outstanding life debts. We have categorized them according to need or level of urgency. Please let us know if you have any other specifications.

As I close the letter, I want you to know Hedwig and her children are absolutely brilliant. We receive your current day owl post through your post box. Hedwig and her owlets bring past mail which had been redirected to somewhere else. We are keeping up with your current mail, but your owls have brought 6 months worth of mail. We have absolutely no idea where they have brought this post from, but they are smart enough to know you want it.

If you ever want to part with any of Hedwig's owlets, let me know.

Yours truly,

Juanita

-0-0-0-

Dear Mr. Potter,

I want to thank you for getting me into Delacroix Missionary Magicks. I have been here about a month or so. I have included a copy of my notes; list of my courses and books; and recommendations for further study. I have enjoyed this chance to go to a different school and learn how differently wizards can practice magic.

The reason I am sending my letter two months early is my family circumstances have changed. I have four younger siblings. My last school was close to home. When my parents needed a extra pair of hands, I went home to baby sit, cook, clean, or take my siblings to school. My former headmaster gave me a free pass to come and go, so it didn't interrupt my classes. I can't stay at Delacroix now because my father has taken ill. He is at hospital seeking treatment. My mom can't handle the strain around the house. I need to return home to London to keep things going while my family finds a new plan.

I want you to know that I appreciate the effort you went to that gave me the educational opportunity of a lifetime. I am not normally a quitter even if I had to quit at this time. The Delacroix headmistress, Ms. Sudsey, has invited me back to complete this year when my circumstances have changed. It will turn out alright in the end.

Again, thanks Ms. Potter.

Tatum O'Connor.

-0-

Dear Tatum,

I have sent a letter to Ms. Sudsey thanking her for being willing to allow British students to come to her institution. I have also been assured that she has welcomed you in the future.

As I thought about your responsibilities for the year and what you are facing, I turned to Healer Tonks for the name of a specialist who could come and treat your father. She assured me that Healer Francis is a home visit mediwitch who will come to your home periodically to check on your father's progress. Healer Francis is muggle raised and has been working on duel treatments for muggle and magical patients. She has assured me that if there is a cure to be had, she can and will find it for you. She is willing to accept you on a five year internship in return for any medical treatment rendered.

I also am lending you the services of Janus. Janus is the Potter house elf most responsible for training and educating each generation of Potter governesses. It has been ten years since he has been asked to serve. He is rusty, but he is looking forward to managing each O'Connor child's success. Janus is bringing several young house elves with him. You should be able to return to your London school after Janus gets an idea of how you O'Connors run your household.

If you need any further assistance or have any suggestions for Janus, let me know.

Sincerely Yours,

Harry Potter

-0—WWW—0-

Dear Dad,

Medini Magicks is brilliant! We have studied more for class in the past few weeks than we ever studied at Hogwarts. Our core classes are different here than at Hogwarts. If you let us continue here until after O.W.L.s, we will have to do some additional work so we can place in Hogwarts remaining core classes.

We have Alchemy first hour. We had to start out as first years in that subject since Hogwarts doesn't offer it. They let us learn at our own pace here. We train with all the other Medini students assigned to first hour. The professor groups us by the projects we are working on, not the level of skill. We have seen transmutation that was lost to us in Britain. It is beyond exciting.

We have Potions second hour. Although we have taken it at Hogwarts for the past two years, the Potions master has forced us to start over. He said we have learned bad safety habits. He refused to let us touch any potions ingredients until we pass health, medicine, and potion safety classes. We have observed some potion classes in the meantime. The teacher actually demonstrates the skills needed for each potion before he lets anyone attempt the assigned potion. Each student has to show a knowledgeable proficiency in the subject area before we can make any potion. It means potion making is much more slow going than any other area.

When we have gotten certain skills under our belts for alchemy and potions, we will be able to join the rest of our classmates in their different classes. They don't offer 5 or 6 classes throughout the year that we take. Instead they explore 1 or 2 subject areas every couple of months. For instance, we study potions for daily life, potions for particular professions, and lauded potion masters. By the time we are done this in depth coverage, we should be able to make basic potions we generally go to an apothecary to purchase.

When we return in a few months, we will be tested on what we retain from this potions period. If we remember enough information and can make most of the potions, we can advance. If we fail to remember, we will have to go back through this potions period. Medini potion masters are known as the best and the most consistent brewers because they have to test, retest, train, and retrain constantly. Anyone who graduates from this institution should be able to all basic potioneering without asking any potion master for assistance. When we leave here after O.W.L.s, we should be able to work in any apothecary. Medini students are highly sought after because of our consistent brewing skills.

We want to know how Ginny likes her local school. We have received one or two letters from her, but we can't tell how she feels overall. She has inundated us with new terms, new concepts, and a new way of life but we don't quite know what to make of it.

Bill has already make a trip to Medini. He and Professor Taub have gotten along famously. We think he is more interested in visiting to check on Professor Taub. He has given us money to buy additional supplies and books. Bill said not to worry about the cost, but we thought we should tell you how much he has covered out of his own pocket. If we need anything else, we will let Bill know.

Love,

Gred and Forge

-0—WWW—0-

Dear Perce,

I am glad you have made so much progress in so little time. I appreciate you helping me with Ministry business at the tender age of 15. As you can see from the documentation I included in my first packet, there is a discrepancy in our files. I trust Perkins and do not think he would destroy the integrity of our department like this.

I have already gotten Madame Bones to let me work from the Burrow. I have begun to set up offices for the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Department here. I am using my authority as Head to bring all my subordinates here to the Burrow. When I first pulled back from my department, I thought leaving Perkins in charge would be sufficient to insure muggles were protected from magic artifacts. Instead I found a hole in security for my department. Son, I know you want to work in the Ministry when you graduate but take this as a practical lesson of what happens when you let other people take responsibility for your work. I had Madam Umbridge transferred out of my department before I changed our work site.

At the Burrow, I erected a two story building for my department. All five of us have spread out across the two floors. I have transferred storage of all our case files to the basement of this building. We still use our offices at the Ministry to meet with other departments or answer any summons from the muggle authorities. When our offices our complete at the Burrow, the move will be complete. Madam Bones will extend the rest of Magical Law Enforcement into our area.

My subordinates all seem happier here. Madam Bones has had nothing but good things to say about our expanded capacity to manage these cases. The increased fines Artifacts have brought the Magical Law Enforcement has caused us to become more respected. She has given me additional funds to hire any new workers. Do you have recommendations from the pool of recent Hogwarts graduates? They do not have to work for us full time. We are willing to do some job share arrangements to accommodate different possible employees.

Ginny is doing well here. She has asked me to force you to help her transfigure her clothes to the muggle styles. I will not ask you to do more than you are already helping me to do here. You have my permission to come home any weekend you have available to help Ginny or me. Give Headmistress McGonagall the attached permission slip as a waiver from Hogwart weekends.

We should have some extra galleons in the near future. I contacted Stan Shunpike, received the waivers from Minister Fudge for my muggle automobile business, and will hire a few broom engineers in the future to help design better vehicles. I have been able to sell my services in automotive fixes.

The good news is the Weasley family has gotten out of debt in just a few short months. Bill and Charlie should be clear to make any new career choices now that old Hogwart tuition bills are not hanging over their heads. I am making more money than I ever have. I am reasonably certain that I can afford to get you that apprenticeship you wanted after Hogwarts now. If you take an interest in either the Artifacts department or help with this automotive business, you should have be able to save enough for the live comfortably during your apprenticeship.

The bad news is your mum has not returned to the Burrow yet. She says she will let us know more when she is more settled. She moved out of Prewett family's home. She has even went back to school somewhere for a master apprenticeship. She sends her love.

Love,

Dad

-0-0-0-

Harry,

Although your request is HIGHLY unusual, I am able to complete your request. I call it, the Life Debt Equalizer. As you know my family have been enchanters for a few centuries. We used to be in much greater demand because most schools or masters did not spend time teaching charm students how to enchant objects to serve a single function. My craft has fallen out of favor because our ministry has stopped reaching for big tasks like the Triwizard Tournament. We have become lax.

Your project has been exciting. You wanted me to prioritize the life debt request so you can answer the most urgent need first. I have done something a little more complex. You have until your majority age to respond to these debts. I agree with you that you should clear as much of this away as possible so these obligations don't follow a family in perpetuity. You place the person's name and the debt into the Equalizer. You must also place a goal or a need you have into the Equalizer. You give the Equalizer a time period and a number of people you need. It spits out parchment that lists the goal/need, the person's name and the debt. Voila! You have found a way to clear your debts in the most functional way possible.

I will come teach a section for enchanting objects as soon as Professor Flitwick contacts me. I didn't know that Hogwarts was transforming its curriculum. I am sure some other residents of Blues Alley will also come and teach about our craft. If Hogwarts will allow some apprenticeships, it will be worth our time.

Thanks again for giving me a project worthy of my talents.

Beverly

—0-0-0—

Dear Master Malfoy,

I hope this letter finds you full of light and health. I struggle to find the words to describe my shocked horror at reading your missive. What, sir, would you have me do?

You are a blood purist. I chose the light long before your birth. Maybe the imperious curse robbed you of your choice as far as Voldemort was concerned. Maybe you did have no intentions to attack and kill muggleborn and muggles outright. You seek now as you did from the first to limit what muggleborns can achieve in our world. Your aims seek to counteract the gifts that magic bestow.

You want me to work with you on improving Hogwarts? Do you think before Lady Hogwarts asserted her authority that I was blind to your attempts to bar muggleborns from attendance? Now we work together on improving Howarts as if your idea of improvement would be Hogwarts without muggleborns? Lady Hogwarts gave us one choice: forward. Our world has nearly come to an end several times in the past century because we tried to suppress what magic has given freely to muggle parents.

I will do to Hogwarts what I ask you to do now: think. These students need to be able to be critical thinkers in the world that exists today. Yesterday's solutions will not save the world of magic. We need these students to figure out where we all can go. You know that Grindenwald's world nearly killed us all. Voldemort would have us sacrifice the muggle world for our own magical paradise and kill us all. Do you know where magic first came from? It wasn't something wizards and witches dreamed up for themselves. We did not beget ourselves.

The split between the magical and muggle worlds has caused our society to atrophy. We let fear drive us. Fear from death propelled us to lose touch with what made us magical in the first place. When did we experience the notable rise in the number of squibs? How come we have had so few births in the last several centuries?

If you seek to work with me, there are truths you must embrace and acknowledge for yourself. The first being we have symbiotic relationship with muggles. It is due to their dreams magic came into the world. It is an old wives tale that we evolved separate and apart from one another. We erase a lot of their nightmares while they make our magic possible. We could exist for a time without them. They existed for a time without us, but there is no way that we could ever completely be apart.

Hogwarts represents a safe environment for magicals in a sea of mundane people. Merlin and the Founders knew we had to find a way to co-exist. Our magic has weakened the further we have gotten from living amongst muggles. The problem with muggleborn students is they have no true sense of the responsibility being magical bears on each of us. When we fail to educate them, they stumble along blind for the whole of their lives, doing the impossible but showing not a hint of what it could mean. Most muggleborns are already a height and level of magic that purebloods dream of. The difference is simple: raw potential versus learned discipline.

Can you agree to the basis of this working relationship? We can commit to a number of different plans to improve Hogwarts, but not at the expense of muggleborns. As governors, we can move magical society forward in ways the Wizengamot or any other leader could dream but will never achieve.

What say you, Master Malfoy?

Dowager Longbottom

—0-0-0—

Harry and Neville left the Heir's Room and finished out the rest of the tour of Hogwarts with Madams Hooch and Burbage. They finished the standard Hogwarts beginning of the year feast. The older Gryfindors told them today was the oddest of their collective Hogwarts career. There was an air of excitement and uncertainty for all the changes this new year brought. The least change for all students was the dorm arrangement.

Neville and Harry had been assigned a room to bunk together. They had a combined bedroom with two beds, an in suite bathroom and a separate study area. The older students told them each year used to be separated by gender and by age. Harry was glad he only had to get to know Neville and learn just one person's habits. Each year did have a common area where they could socialize and talk, but they had larger activity areas if they wanted to study or play games. The entire Gryfindor tower was in use. The older students said it had been different before. They used to just have a common room and just dormitories.

When Harry settled his belongings and sat down at his desk, he pulled out parchment. After he had read that the Potters funded Hogwarts, he researched if the Potters had funded anything else connected to Hogwarts. He found a list of beneficiaries to the Potter Trust. The mission of the Potter Trust was to educate and defray the cost for any needy student. The Trust ran independent of the Potter inheritance, but its rules allowed for any Potter heir to contribute additional money, input, or sustenance to make it run better. The Trust had funded at least a quarter to half of all Hogwarts students over the years.

He discovered that several headmasters over the centuries had tried to divert money from the Trust to other pet projects. Their efforts failed over time because the beneficiaries were in charge of directing its grants. Harry wanted to inform them of the efforts he had made to allow other students to take advantage of scholarships the different schools had offered him. He didn't have a sense of how he could maintain contact with so many different students, so he hoped the Trust beneficiaries had developed a way to help a student matriculate all the way through the educational process.

—0-0-0—

Former Minister Thurston,

Please be advised that I have recently discovered you were a former recipient of the Potter Trust. It is my understanding that you have taken it upon yourself to run the Potter Trust. Under your leadership, the Trust gives out more money to more students than at any time since its inception.

I am impressed and excited to know my family has a legacy like this. I am writing because I need your help. As you know, I lost my parents when I was a toddler. I asked an adult to help to distribute the scholarship offers I received to go to schools across the world. He helped me to pass these offers to other students so they could take advantage of what I was offered.

It has gone as well as you can expect for so many British born magicals going to different places across the world. I had no way of knowing that each student would need a unique set of skills and resources as they journey to new places. I know that you normally deal with need based scholarships. Some of the students who received my scholarship offers were financially strapped. Since I came into this world, I have had several students start at these schools and have to return home because they had needs which weren't being met. I was able to help a few return to school, but others have needs greater than what I can manage on my own.

I ask you to take over managing these students because I know they need more than I can do for them. I plan to help each student fundraise so they can remain at their new school for as long as they desire. I was hoping we can get someone to match our contributions for the students until they are fully funded. From the muggle world, I know celebrities use their names, photographs, and other personal memorablia as a means to raise funds for causes. I thought we could use the enclosed items as a means to generate money for each scholar. Ian MacKenzie has set up dinners for me to attend throughout the world during my school years. Muggles also dial for dollars and create celebrity roasts where wealthy people volunteer their time and services.

I know you haven't let down the Trust students in your care. I doubt you will turn aside additional students even though they are spread so far across this globe. If you can think of anything I am not doing please let me know. I have 3 ladies who read my mail and have a fleet of owls at their service. They can take on the additional volume in mail the Trust has to create in order to accommodate all these new students. They also have names for magicals who have contacted the Boy Who Lived in the past. Most of these magicals are willing to help me make the world a better place. If you ask them, I am pretty sure they can help us.

Gratefully Yours,

Harry Potter

4 Encls

1. Abby Bundle of Information Requests

2. Juanita Bundle of Hard to Resolve Cases

3. My Attempts to Reconcile the Hard Cases

4. Theresa Future Prospects for Funding

5. Memorabilia for sale or fundraising

—0-0-0—

Dear Mr. Potter,

I request additional funds to finance your request to receive your parent's wills and get Gringotts to disclose the specific facts of your inheritance. I used the information your justice ritual reference set gave you to find how Griphook betrayed you and your interests.

Griphook told you the truth about losing your inheritance with Asgard and Hemlot Potters by not taking the Potter legacy box or redeeming the marriage/heir debts they left you. Asgard Potter is the first in line of the Potter inheritance you can collect from Gringotts. Griphook deceived you into believing it is the only one or it's the most prestigious. It is not completely the goblins' fault. The ministry of magic voided the goblins' ability to disclose trusts and vaults that young heirs did not know about due to the death or lost of their head of house. The goblins' honor prevents them from allowing the ministry to take money or possessions that are not goblins or the ministry. They have held these legacies in trust for the families who stand to collect.

You need a forensic accountant to discover the breadth and depth of your Potter inheritance. By all means, take the steps needed to claim what Asgard and Hemlot Potter left you. I have set about trying to get your parent's will executed and your money released from your magical guardian's control. As it stands now, your father entrusted Albus Dumbledore with a portion of his wealth to fight the war with Voldemort. In the records I have pulled from the Ministry, he wanted to insure your generation was not indebted by his generations' follies. The problem with his wish is the Ministry took James' bequeath as a license through Albus Dumbledore's role as Chief Mugwump to finance its auror department. I call Albus Dumbledore the Chief Mugwump because he is the Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards and the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. The Ministry has tried to take the lion share of James' money in the past 10 years. The ICW have not used this funding source since Voldemort was defeated Halloween 1981. They have kept it in reserve for any other dark magicals. The goblins have not released more than half of James' wealth to the British ministry, but Albus Dumbledore has been a lax administrator over the wealth the Ministry took.

I need your permission to fight the Wizengamot. They have taken James' selfless desire to help your generation as a license to ignore their responsibility to the magical community. As James' heir, you can acquire a dollar for dollar ledger for the money the Wizengamot spent. I want to bring Nicholas Flamel on as lead counsel for this fight. He is the only wizard who has forced the Wizengamot to monetarily account for its past wrongs. He also knows the Ministry's founding documents well enough to uncover when the ministry is in breach of its duties.

I also need your approval to rid yourself of Albus Dumbledore's guardianship. At best, he is allowed his role as Chief Mugwump to conflict with his responsibility to protect your fortune as guardian. At worst, he has turned James Potter's desire to protect you from war to fund the ministries' whims. The strength of the auror department has declined in the last decade or more. The minister has not put your wealth to good use. Albus Dumbledore has not intervened to make good on James' bequeath.

Your trust vault currently at Gringotts is available for each heir. The trust vault operates independent of each head of house. It becomes active at age 8 and usually remains accessible until the heir has finished formal education. If you leave school and/or return to school after a long absence, you will find this trust will open again to subsidize all your educational pursuits. You also have a travel vault and a hospice vault available to you when the need arises.

Your legacy is broad and deep. Your assets are not all tied to Gringotts. Some of your forebears did not trust the goblins to wisely invest their finances and left Swedish Gnomes to manage their wealth and legacy. Other Potters chose to strike out in the muggle world. They entrusted their money to muggle institutions. I'm sure in a 1000 years, each Potter did something memorable across the globe. If you want to track down all the branches of the Potter tree and plumb its depths, I need you to release additional monies for this search. I have consulted with Theodore Tonks in the past, but I need his expertise with these pureblood and muggle requirements involved in each Potter's legacy.

If you want a recommendation, I suggest you start taking a sum of money from your vault every time you visit Gringotts until I get the Ministry to disgorge its hold on James' account. If you reduce the amount which is there, they can only ever take half of what is available. The ministry does not have a lifetime hold on your assets or any other Potter's money. When we execute your parents' wills correctly, they will not be able to continue this plunder.

Please let me know what direction you want to take.

At your service,

Marcus Finney

—0-0-0—

Dear Harry,

We submitted to your friend, Ian's medical scans. Have you had a chance to review them? Has Ian talked to you about them? They should prove what I said in my first letter.

You are too young to look after yourself, Harry. We did not treat you as a son or as a younger family member, but you had an adult who could look after you being in our care. You have had a couple of months on your own. Do you know how to live without a parent or guardian? Do you, at the very least, have someone to monitor how much you eat or make sure you get to bed on time?

You may not want to have any future contact with us, but you must know that you were placed with us because of the wizard's war. Through us, you had protection against any magical who would bring you harm. Since you don't live with us, you need a secure place to live. Please find a safe place to live.

I hope you write back this time.

Yours truly,

Petunia Dursley


	14. Chapter 14

Just a typical Hogwarts day

Harry had been at Hogwarts for two months. He absolutely loved it. He thought magic school was much better than his school in Surrey. In fact, he liked both Hogwarts and East End Primary. When he went to the Elgin school he made sure the teachers retested him in all his subject levels. He planned to focus his study on math and science but it wouldn't hurt if he knew more.

Hogwarts challenged him in ways his summer books did not. His first couple of weeks were a vast improvement over any other teacher led class in which he had participated. His potion class was his best subject. His teacher, Mrs. Warrington, was extraordinarily helpful. She was lead teacher for the first years. All first years took each class together. Mrs. Warrington used their potion class to prepare ingredients for the older students. She left the classroom and allowed Professor Sprout to identify the ingredients they had prepared. Professor Sprout would lead them to the greenhouse. Each student was responsible for caring for the plants and animals whose potion ingredients Hogwarts was harvesting. The idea the teachers had was they would combine their classes to the extent that the students was taken from the field to the classroom or dinner table.

After her class was completed, Professor Sprout took the students to Hagrid's animal farm. She explained she was mentoring Hagrid so that Hagrid learned how to teach students to harvest animal ingredients. Hagrid showed them how to ask and receive each animal's cooperation if students needed external ingredients. The students learned from the gentlest animals Hagrid cared for. Professor Sprout only interrupted Hagrid's class if he put them into contact with more feral animals.

Professor Flitwick met them at the farm. He showed the students how to gather the hair, skin or fur dendrites, saliva/blood samples, or fertilizer. There were charms to hover, to parch, to dispatch, to preserve, and do any and all preservation the products needed. Professor Flitwick delighted in being outside. He told the class he had spent the last century being bound to the classroom. He said the escape to outdoors did his heart good.

Harry's transfiguration teacher, Mrs. Bassett, met them outside of the farm. In past classes, she had shown them how to convert a matchstick into a needle, a pin cushion into a frog, and mouse into a goblet. While they were outside, Mrs. Bassett showed them how to transform some of the blades of grass into fences, rocks into masonry stones, and leaves into nets. She showed Harry's class how to conserve the amount of power they used in each spell so they weren't exhausted by the end of the day.

The other two classes: Astrology/Astronomy and History of Magic was divided between four teachers. The first years took Potions, Herbology/Animal Farm, Charms, and Transfiguration daily from Breakfast until their late lunch. The students left lunch for a long history lesson. Professor Binns, the Grey Lady, and Bloody Baron taught Hogwarts' history from the founding until 1300 A.D. Thaddeus Kirk taught History of the Magic World 1900 to the current day.

The firsties went to dinner together. Their last class of the day was Astrology Astronomy. They went to through star charts and zodiac graphs with Professor Sinestra. Professor Trelawny taught the students how to read the celestial signs when they peered up into the stars and viewed the zodiac manifestations. So far the only classes where they were expected to complete homework was history and astronomy. It was assigned over the weekend breaks.

Harry was thrilled. The Potter elves learned as he learned. They assured him that the Potter properties were being well managed, had been thoroughly cleaned, and yielded a fruitful harvest. He had written Leit and Wyatt so he had permission to expand and work in his dorm room in Neville's presence. Harry placed his trunk against the tower wall and worked on the last armour and a chest of drawers. He had restored and increased the storage capacity of the items he bought from Surrey's used goods store. The Potter elves transported any finished items to his homes. Harry worked as hard on his furniture as he had when the Dursleys assigned him chores.

Mrs. Warrington explained that the daily schedule the first through fifth years had was designed to exhaust their magic cores. As the students adapted to their daily labors, the amount of magic they could produce would expand. Madam Pomfrey and the St. Mungo's staff of healers had given them a series of tests when they started Hogwarts to ensure the schedule did not drastically strain them. Whenever Neville and Harry tired they employed their qwik spells to help them complete the tasks the teachers expected of them. The other firsties discovered it was best to follow their lead because Neville and Harry were not has tired as everyone else. Mrs. Warrington and the healers took note of any differences between the first and second year students.

Harry's daily routine was interrupted on Halloween. While Hogwarts was enjoying a feast to celebrate Samhain, the Defense against Dark Arts Professor Quirrel interrupted the meal. Since the firsties did not take defense against the dark arts until the second half of the year, they failed to pay attention to his words. Professor McGonagall asked the prefects to keep all students in the Great Hall. Most of the adult staff and professors left. Madam Pomfrey and the rest of the healers floated Quirrel to the hospital wing. The meal and the stories continued.

Professor McGonagall returned to the Great Hall asked the prefects to lead the Hufflepuffs to the Gryfindor tower and directed the Slytherins to Ravenclaw tower. She told them after dinner classes were canceled for the night. She said they were to enjoy the game rooms. The first years walked between the sixth and seventh years toward the tower. Their journey was broken up by trolls.

The seventh years ran into a couple of trolls near the front of the line. They pushed the first years back to safety. The connecting corridor was filled with 2 or 3 more trolls. The sixth years pressed forward to keep the first years away from the connecting corridor. Percy was able to redirect the remaining second, third, fourth and fifth years to the Ravenclaw Tower. Missy, his fifth year partner, went back to the Great Hall to find a professor to help with the trolls.

The seventh year prefects organized the seventh years to fight the trolls. The sixth year prefects directed the rest of their class to close off the connecting corridor. Before the firsties panicked, Harry and Neville directed the rest to form the herbology/animal farm groupings.

Neville asked Harry, "What should we do to help?"

"Remember the charms to gather the hair, skin or fur dendrites; to hover, to parch, to dispatch, and to preserve animal products? We can use those on the trolls closest to us. Let's process them like we would if they were at Hagrid's farm." Harry looked at his fellow first years to see if they would be of any use.

Neville asked Susan and Hannah to help. "Can you gather the hair, fur and skin?" Susan and Hannah nodded.

Susan cast the first charm on the trolls the seventh years were fighting. "_CARPO!"_

The troll hide was thick and magic resistant. A few hairs left the troll. Susan did not employ enough magic force to have a greater impact. The troll rubbed the areas where the hair came from, but it didn't give the seventh years enough time to take advantage of the troll's reaction.

Neville asked Hannah, "Help Susan with the trolls. Use the qwik spell version of carpo. Keep your wand in your hand when you use the spell."

The results were immediate. The troll lost half of the hair on its body. Hannah's spell impact redirected the troll's attention from the seventh years to Hannah. The troll grunted and reached for her. The seventh years had enough time to banish the troll in the castle wall to jar it.

Harry asked Dean and Seamus to hover the clubs. "Will you guys be able to direct the clubs further away from this hall? We haven't completed the sight unseen transport charm, but the hover should help them." Dean and Seamus nodded.

Dean stepped to the side and used the qwik spell to levitate the club of the other troll the seventh years were fighting. "_LEVIS!_" The club hovered above the troll's head.

Seamus followed up. "_Wingardium Leviosa!"_ The club moved away from the troll and the seventh years.

Justin and Ernie took over from Seamus. Justin called out, "_LEVITAS!_" It lightened the club before Ernie could place it near the sixth years. Ernie yelled, "_MISSUM!_"

Harry followed up with the debris surrounding the first troll the seventh years had taken down. He transfigured the stone into fences. Neville helped by tranfiguring the debris into nets and levitating them to troll's arms and legs.

Susan and Hannah had moved to the second troll the seventh years were trying to subdue. They plucked all the hair off this poor troll. It was in shock. One seventh year was able to use the _Obscura_ charm to temporarily remove the trolls' sight while the rest of the seventh years focused their attention on surmount the trolls magical resistance.

Dean and Seamus repeated their spellwork on the second club. Justin and Ernie also dispatched it. Harry and Neville transfigured as many fences and nets as they could to secure the trolls once the seventh years defeated them.

On the other end of the hall, the sixth years had walled off the connecting corridor so those trolls could not reach them. Mrs. Bassett and Mrs. Warrington helped the sixth years harden the transfigured walls so the trolls couldn't smash their way through the wall. They informed the exhausted students that the teachers had been fighting trolls throughout the castle. Their classmates were safe in Ravenclaw tower.

Mrs. Bassett and Warrington escorted the rest of the students to Gryfindor tower. The teachers taught the Hufflepuffs how to transfigure or conjure sleeping bags or beds for the common areas. The elves brought bedding for the students to cover up. They asked them to get some rest while the teacher guarded the tower.

The teachers rounded up the rest of trolls. An entire clan of mountain trolls entered the castle and tried to find food. Hagrid spoke to the trolls outside near the animal farm. He explained how scared the wizard and witches were of them. The elves supplied Hagrid with enough carcasses from the feast to satisfy the troll clan. Hagrid asked them to apologize to the staff and students the next day and compensate them for the ruined Samhain celebration. Hagrid also offered them safe passage to the giant lands if the trolls were interested in roaming in a far less populated place.

Madame Pomfrey and the healers had a far more difficult night than anyone else. They levitated Professor Quirrel to the hospital wing. Healer Fracier who performed the diagnostic spells along the way discovered a nasty possession. The other healers stunned Quirrel as soon as Fracier alerted them to the problem.

Voldemort fought the healers with as many dark spells as he could summon up using Quirrel's magic. With the servant being vanquished, Voldemort tried to change bodies so he would have access to more magic. The healers exorcised Voldemort from Quirrel. Healer Chatney banished Voldemort's spirit to its earthly body and bound it to its first home. Healer Chatney later explained that he learned the spell from his aborigine grandparents. The spell cast on a restless spirit had uneven results.

Dumbledore, Snape and McGonagall were responsible for the clean up. The teachers who had fought the trolls were brought to the hospital for any injuries they sustained. Professor Flitwick and Mr. Stevens checked on Ravenclaw tower. The remaining Gryfindor and Hufflepuff years were taken to Gryfindor tower. The rest were instructed to transfigure beds or sleeping bags because the students would be sleeping in Ravenclaw tower for the night.

The Aurors arrived to collect Professor Quirrel after the healers finished treating him for the possession. Quirrel suffered a loss of motor function and mental acuity, but he could otherwise lead a functional life. Dumbledore and Snape questioned him with Veritaserum before he left the castle. McGonagall used a recording quill to collect the entire transcript.

Perenelle Flamel came after Dumbledore notified the Flamels of the second attempt in the last few months on the Philosopher Stone. She took possession of the Stone, asked Albus to meet with the couple later in the week, and informed McGonagall that one of her grandchildren could fill in as a Defense against Dark Arts teacher until she found another one.

The next day Harry woke up with a headache beyond anything he had ever felt. He felt like someone had shoved his head into a vise and tried to drain all the blood from his body. He laid in a bed and looked up at the ceiling. He tested his throat to see if he could talk. First, he hummed. Then, he spoke out loud.

"Neville."

Neville was an early riser, but this was ABSOLUTELY ridiculous. Both Harry and he had turned in late last night. The sun wasn't even up yet. He listened to see if Harry turned over and went to sleep.

"Neville, I'm hurt. Please be up. I need you to get Cedric Diggory for me. Please wake up. I can't move far enough to get help for myself."

Neville jerked himself from the bed.

"I'll get Cedric. I didn't know you were hurt. I will get him right now."

Neville stumbled into the first year common room. He noticed all the Hufflepuff first years. He climbed to the fourth year common room. He hoped the rest of the Hufflepuffs were in the tower.

The teachers must have moved them here. Cedric was near the window on the far side of the room. Neville shook Cedric in his bed.

"Cedric. It's an emergency. I need you. Harry needs you." Cedric turned over but he had yet to actually wake up.

"Cedric. Harry can't move. Wake up." Nevilled pulled Cedric's sheets off him.

"Cedric. You are going to make me do something that I don't want to do soon. Harry needs you. GET UP!" The other fourth year Hufflepuffs were starting to wake up now. Neville didn't want to explain this to everyone. Harry wouldn't like it.

"Keep in mind, you have left me no choice. I only know a few charms. _Wingardium Leviosa_." Neville knew that the moblicorpus spell was a better charm, but he didn't know how to do it. He moved away the other Hufflepuffs, directed Cedric's floating body in front of him as he moved down the stairs, and returned to Harry.

"Harry, I am back. I have Cedric here. I can't wait wake Cedric. You might have better luck."

"Hand me my wand. I will see what I can do."

Harry pointed his wand at Cedric. He used the hair removal charm from the animal farm. "Carpo."

Cedric jerked away. "What the fuck was that for? Damn. Are you trying to hurt me?" Cedric lost his body hair-all of it.

"Cedric, be grateful that you have the hair on the top of your head. You should be grateful that I read that magical origins book and learned about intent in spell casting.

I can't move. I need you to get Ian to come to Hogwarts and check on me. Something is wonky with me this morning. I was fine last night when I went to bed. My magic is flowing better than it has ever been. He is the healer that has the best information on the rituals I've been through. He might be the only one that can set me right. Please get him."

Cedric sat up from the floor, looked at Harry laying in bed. His eyes were open, but other than his wand being wedged into his hand he was laying stock still. He leapt up and made his way to the door. He called over his shoulder.

"I will go to Professor Sprout and get Ian here. After I floo him, I am going to the Infirmary and get Madame Pomfrey. I would move you, but I don't know what if it will make things worse for you."

Neville pulled a desk chair to Harry's bed. "I don't know what to do to make you feel better, Harry. How about we talk about something that will pull your mind away from what is currently happening here?"

"I don't know how that would work, but I am willing to try it. What do you have in mind?"

"How about that troll fight last night? That was bizarre enough to be interesting, right?"

"Hell, yeah. What were trolls doing in our school? Is that what the magic world does to a wizard? You are sitting in the Great Hall, having a fabulous meal that takes your mind away from your parent's death anniversary. You feel good about yourself and your friend. Bam. You are forced to move quickly through the halls, so you can get to safety in your tower. Out of no where, you find trolls in your path. What is this a rite of passage?"

"If it is, I haven't heard of it before. My grand uncle bounced me out of a second or third story window to see if my magic saved me. I bounced. Maybe wrestling and restraining mountain trolls shows that we are worthy Hogwarts students. Who knows? We didn't do too bad, did we?"

"We were saved because we worked together. The sixth year prefects instructed their class to wall the trolls into a separate corridor. The seventh year prefects directed us to stay out of the fight and the rest of their class to subdue the couple of trolls we were faced with fighting. We could have listened to the seventh year prefects, but those students didn't know what we could do to help. We had to help."

"Can you believe that? Why did the rest of the first years listen to us? Well, why did they listen to me? You, I understand. Me? I just started giving out directions like I knew what I was doing. I was scared, but I figured we should do something."

"You think we should have just stood there and hoped for the best? Neville, those older students know more spells but they were as scared as we were. They were fumbling through it. We fumbled through it.

We'll figure out later why the other first years listened to us. I didn't know what to do exactly. I just thought let's use the charms we know. Later, we'll learn more so if we are faced with mountain trolls in the future we can protect ourselves.

I'll ignore what you said about yourself and your voice in a crowd. We already talked about your lack of confidence. I see no reason to keep talking about it again. I had to speak up yesterday like I knew exactly what we could do. I knew I could choose the wrong thing. I did it anyway because it made less sense just standing in place watching other people risk injury while we did nothing.

Next time in a crisis, we will better know what to do. My muggle school did fire drills or terror alerts in case of an emergency. We can do better as a magic school. We can run through bad events in Hogwarts past and come up with drills to keep us safe.

Next time, I see Percy I will ask him what the prefects are prepared to do in light of this mountain troll farce. I will keep asking until a prefect, a teacher, or someone tells me what they are prepared to do in the future to prevent us from having to defend ourselves."

"Why do drills when we have magic to prevent injury?"

"We have magic. We didn't get hurt, but those sixth and seventh years might have being face to face with those trolls. Once we started using our magic, the trolls attacked us. They probably were trying to protect themselves from us. We had no way of knowing what their intentions were. Are trolls sentient?"

"What difference does their ability to think have to do with anything?

"I want to know why they were here in the first place. If they were cavemen, maybe they just wanted food, shelter, or clothing. If they are mindless beasts, all they can do is fight or flee. It matters because we need to know how to defend ourselves. If we are dealing with something that doesn't reason, just attacks, then we won't waste time talking."

"What does it have to do with us? Shouldn't the adults figure it out and tell us?"

"You don't know me well enough to know this yet. If it is wrong, it will find me. If someone is doing something bad, they will generally find a way to get me involved in it one way or the other. I make a good scapegoat.

As far as adults taking care of things, where were the adults when we were fighting mountain trolls last night? Why did they send us to bed without telling us what was happening? We were so exhausted that we went straight to sleep, but normally people in charge tell us what to expect or what they are doing to deal with the emergency situation. We didn't get anything last night."

"Adults speak. Children listen."

"No. Responsible adults explain. Reasonable children listen to responsible adults. If we listen to all adults, then I am a worthless, careless freak who never will succeed because I had worthless drunken parents. As their spawn, I am going to be just like them."

"Who said that Harry?"

"Careless relatives. In fact, careless relatives who hate me for being magical. Better still, careless, magic fearing muggle relatives who hate me for being different said that and did more. If every careless adult has a right to be obeyed, I am already hopeless. I am magical. I am not hopeless. I have irresponsible, careless relatives who told me what I was good for and refused to believe me.

I don't expect you to believe as I believe, but your choice to listen indiscriminately will never be my choice. You're my friend and I will be the best I can be. Don't expect me to ignore my experience and do as you do. I will show you the same courtesy.

If these adults, here in this castle, choose not to tell us what we need and refuse to prepare us to fight our best, then they too become careless adults who don't deserve to be obeyed. We will do what we can, but I won't lose any sleep if I don't obey them. Trust is earned."

"Harry, we will have disagree here. Sometimes, adults tell you what they can explain and shield you from what is too terrible to share. They wait until you can handle the situation better. My experience gives me the faith that responsible adults lead and share what they can."

"Tell me, Neville. Do you think we would have been better prepared if one of those adults explained what was going on before we left the Great Hall?"

"Quirrel said something to us. We were too busy talking to hear what he said."

"Before we left the Great Hall, did anyone prepare us for the trolls?"

"No. They tried to get us to a safe place and find the danger."

"I don't doubt they had the best intentions. I'm sure they fought the trolls with the best of their abilities. Did their intentions prepare us to face the danger we faced?"

"No. They got to us as soon as they could."

"We could have been near death by then. We had to protect ourselves in spite of the best intentions."

"They will do better next time."

"If we didn't protect ourselves this time, we would not be there for the next time. If my cousin, Dudley hit me in front of a teacher, he was punished. If Dudley did without a teacher present, he was not punished. The teacher's intentions were to prevent Dudley from helping me. All Dudley learned was not to hit me in front of a teacher because he was punished when a teacher was there. I, on the other hand, learned Dudley will hit me whenever he chose whether he was punished or not. If I wanted to remain uninjured, I had to stay out of Dudley's reach no matter what a teacher or anyone else had to say about it.

I think Hogwarts is the same way. A teacher will intervene in any danger that is in front of them which is trying injure us. If they are not there to protect us, the danger will impact us regardless what lesson they are trying to teach. The moral of this story is learn how to do for yourself or you will be injured no matter what other people want, intend, or believe.

If it gives you comfort that the adults wanted to protect us and send us to the towers away from where they thought the trolls were, then I hope you will teach me how to be comforted. I just want to make sure if a troll enters this castle, I know how to subdue it on my own. Can you imagine what would have happened if we had been by ourselves trying to fight even one of those trolls without any support?

It would not be good. I'm sure we would have figured something out, but at what cost to us? Would those intentions give us comfort when we were injured or dead?"

Ian's entrance saved Neville from having to respond. The truth was Harry was right. Injury or death was cold comfort. "What do have going on today Patient Harry? Have you decided that you miss me so much you need to call me in before 6 a.m.?" Ian had his wand in hand and started diagnosing all that he saw.

"No, I decided it is time to get a personal healer who knows me. Since you have done so much for me already, I figured you might want the job. Does St. Mungos challenge your skills as much as I do? The way I see it, the more rituals I do the more complicated this can become. With your expertise on my physiology, I will always have the best care.

How about it, do you want a full time patient? You don't owe me anything now. We are even. What you do with the rest of your time is your business? When I have an emergency like the one I am having now, I can contact you to treat me. I don't want to explain all my injuries to every healer or doctor who comes along."

Ian was shocked. "I will talk to my wife about it. If she thinks it is a good arrangement, I will negotiate some time off for St. Mungos. I will immerse myself in your medical history. I don't come cheap."

"I would not expect you to be cheap. I have a hospice vault. I figure I can afford it, so I might as well take advantage of what my forebears provided for me."

Ian did a thorough examination. "I think your last ritual is coming back to bite you. Something must have happened to the goblin's guest for your readings to be like this." Ian glanced at Neville. "I think I will move you to more thoroughly assess what we can do to get you well." Ian turned to address Neville. "I want to thank you for helping Harry today. If you keep this up, Harry might rope you into working for him too."

Ian used the moblicorpus spell to move Harry out of the first year dormitory. He sought out the Gryfindor Head of House, Mrs. Ealy. Madame Pomphrey met them in Mrs. Ealy's office. Ian presented Harry's release to leave school grounds for medical purporses. "I am taking Mr. Potter off school grounds for further treatment. Your facilities do not have the personnel to treat Mr. Potter. I have discussed the staff improvements with Professor Flitwick and Madame Pomphrey in the past. I'll take up this matter with the Headmaster and the School Governors in the future.

Suffice it to say, I will insure Mr. Potter's well-being but Hogwarts has a gap that I think should be filled. I don't think the other schools in Britain are as fully staffed as Hogwarts. I'm sure we can settle on a plan to take care of all students who need to be cared for."

Mrs. Ealy spoke with Harry before he departed. "I will let the Headmistress know you've left the grounds with Healer MacKenzie. Madame Pomphrey will settle on your care. I will visit you and make sure you are alright. I will also make sure you receive any assignments you miss and get you a tentative make up schedule. Be well, Harry."

Madame Pomphrey took Ian aside. "I checked Mr. Potter out when he did his physical. I want you to check his magic core. I think it has an obstruction. You also will want to look at his bones. He is on the short side of his age group. You can handle his treatment without the kind of oversight I have to deal with at Hogwarts. Please make him well."

Ian carted Harry off the grounds. He used the portkey the goblins had given him in case of a complication. He sent Rancor a message prior to coming to Hogwarts to prepare him for any possible ritual side affects. He figured the goblins would find it in their interest to see Harry Potter.


	15. Chapter 15

Actions matter, not intentions

When Harry left, Neville decided he would see about the things Harry said. He sat down at his desk and wrote his Grandmother a note to find out if she knew about muggle fire drills or emergency procedures. His Gran could tell the Headmaster and the staff to come up with something which would train the students to better handle any strange creatures who chose to enter Hogwarts. The staff could designate a teacher or a group who managed the students while the rest handled the situation. Harry was right about a couple of things: 1) if good intentions were not enough to protect them the staff needed to give them instructions whereby they could handle the situation themselves and 2) if the students' luck ran out, comfort would not help any injuries or death that came to them.

Neville was not the only one who was having a crisis of faith in authority, Percy was reaching out to his father. Percy knew that his mother loved him, but she was not the right parent to handle this situation. His dad was the one who handled direct threats to the family. As far as Percy knew, multiple mountain trolls in Hogwarts was a direct threat to Percy's health. Percy protected the second through fifth years, but he didn't feel good about the remaining Gryfindors left to fight the mountain trolls.

If the teachers were thorough and the prefects were worth their office, he should have known what to do. He and Missy had to make a choice. They chose the second through fifth years. If things went the other way, he was pretty sure that he would not be able to face himself in the mirror. If his classmates had died last night while he and the rest of the Gryfindors were safe in Ravenclaw tower, Percy was sure he would be far from the contained perfect Percy the Twins teased him for being.

No matter what went right last night, a number of things went wrong. If his Dad didn't have any thoughts on this, he'd contact Bill. Bill knew things as a curse breaker and as a former head boy that his father didn't. Maybe he could help him figure out what he could have done. He never wanted to feel this helpless again.

Susan Bones was also reaching out to her aunt. She didn't feel good about how she handled the troll. Hannah had to bail her out. She knew her spells. She had studied most of her first year texts. The books didn't tell her anything about handling a troll. Her auntie might have a solution to cover the shortfall. Her aunt always talked about rookies who stood in the face of danger for the first time. She said their training kicked in. She wanted to know what happened when her rookies didn't have any training. What did they do then? The firsties did well enough, but they could have been hurt without the sixth and seventh years.

At the same time all those letters were being written and sent out to Hogwarts guardians, McGonagall was in the midst of a debate with Albus which would have far reaching consequences for all in the castle. Lady Hogwarts only inserted herself when necessary. The Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress were doing what was right. The Founders could not have done better.

"Voldemort was in _this_ castle with children, Albus! Much more specifically, Voldemort was in _this_ castle with _all these children_ when _Harry Potter_ was here.

Albus, you want to be emeritus headmaster. I welcome you to it. I expect you to keep the children safe in all things. There will no longer be any artifacts held in this castle which will draw Voldemort to us. Harry Potter is one thing. The Philosopher Stone is an entirely different kettle of fish.

Voldemort will attack Harry Potter no matter where he is. If he is back in spirit form, this school needs an entire security/defense against dark arts team overall. Harry Potter needs to bring a special contingent in protect him from Voldemort specifically, but our students faced mountain trolls last night.

If you want to take a step back, I need a deputy headmaster/headmistress to take on my former responsibilities. If you want to handle, the Ministry you can. We have a farm to manage. We have an apothecary to grow. We have the entire Forbidden Forest to nurture and husband. Hogsmeade was a former extension of the Founders' vision of Hogwarts. The town has its own managing major and council. If we fulfill the calling that Lady Hogwarts has set before us, we need to have more hands on this ship.

Hagrid has the Forbidden Forest, but he needs workers. Severus has made an impressive start building an apothecary from what we grow here at Hogwarts, but he needs workers. The students can help but they do not have masteries. If I get involved in the daily grind of Hogsmeade as a leader, then I will fall into the trap you have as Chief Mugwump in the Ministry. I need a politician capable of inserting him or herself in Hogsmeade with a management team which lets them know what Hogwarts needs.

Our enrollment is down more than 50% this year. We need to find willing students to educate. If we have a plan to continue as a school, we cannot go forward with this. These new schools operating within these walls are working out because our students are exposed to more fields of study than we normally offer. Most of the sixth and seventh years have signed up for Derringer so they know how to feed themselves when they leave Hogwarts. These new schools have contributed teachers who have filled in the gaps in staff for heads of house and teachers, but we need to fill out our own roster.

Tell me what you are going to handle, _O Emeritus Headmaster_, so I can plan on something."

Lady Hogwarts inserted herself in the discussion. "Before you answer, Headmaster, let me help you Headmistress. The residents of Hogsmeade have helped to secure Hogwarts. They have guarded our boundaries against hostile muggles or any threats from creatures. There is no reason that they cannot take up their former role.

The Founders each had an area they specialized in. The Forbidden Forest, the animal farm, apothecary, and political networking fit within their profession. You are strained to manage each function by yourself. Hagrid and Snape will be handle their area if they have professional help. You are not expected to handle the farm or crops. Give that to Professor Sprout. You need to have her Hufflepuff counterpart take control as head of house.

You need to find a Hogsmeade resident to be the politician Hogwarts needs. The Ministry of Magic is separate an apart from Hogwarts. We will provide for ourselves. The political team should also come from Hogsmeade or Hogwarts. It all needs to remain in house.

Professor Flitwick has a team of Ravenclaws who can find the students we need. They have been working on it for three months. If you want to hear a proposal from them on what should be done, you should ask them for it.

I am also interested in hearing what the Emeritus Headmaster will manage and be responsible. You have kept your word from the summer. You have put in 20 hours a week. You have not been distracted at all. What do you have in mind for student defense and your role here?"

Albus smiled and stretched his arms out so they were completely open. "I will work with the Ministry of Magic for Hogwarts. I want out of the daily routine of running this school. Headmistress McGonagall consider you hired and me entering my dotage. For a century, I've devoted myself to education: mine and everyone else's here at Hogwarts.

You both can see the cracks in the administration I've held together solely relying on will and determination. Do I wish I did better? Do I see room for improvement? Did some things fall through those cracks?

Yes, Merlin, YES!

I want to try my hand at doing what Madam Grisdela Marchbanks does in education. She bosses all the younger staff around while she learns new and interesting magic. She leads the NEWT and OWL educators forward by her example. She is doing well filling in for me in the Wizengamot. I have a proxy voting for the Dumbledore seat. He tells me how impressive she has been forcing compromise. Considering the fact that she was a mature effeminate teacher when I was a lad, I cannot find a better model to pattern my waning years. She taught or examined every member of the Wizengamot. Maybe Madam Marchbanks will let me take up her current post while she sticks with mine. I'll ask.

I can change the 20 hours I spend here at Hogwarts. Tell me what else you think I could do here without undermining your leadership."

McGonagall put forward her hope. "How about you find a way to break the curse Voldemort put on the Defense of Dark Arts position? Maybe you can teach alchemy with one of the Flamel family. Have you ever considering teaching advance transfiguration to Hogwarts graduates? Maybe you would consider bringing your lifelong flame to teach ethics in magic. Your time could be used as effectively as you want. Well?"

Albus responded, "I can and will lead a team of curse breakers to work on whatever threats Voldemort introduced into this school. Maybe we can discover what he has been doing here for the last 2 months. Lady Hogwarts, why didn't you tell us we had a new spirit drifting across these halls.""'

The Sorting Hat responded for her. "The Lady can not go against the Founder's heirs. Tom Riddle may be many horrific things, but he is Slytherin's primary heir."

Lady Hogwarts took over from the Sorting Hat. "I cannot go against him anymore than I can undermine the rest of the Founder's heirs.

Albus, you know this better than anyone else."

"Even in spirit form, a heir you must continue to obey. Remarkable!" Albus pretended to be shocked.

"Yes. Whenever there is a conflict between the Founders or their heirs, I have remained outside of the conflict. I remain true to this original proposition." Lady Hogwarts finished.

Minerva looked at Albus. "You didn't answer my questions. I have known you too long to let you slide away from this conversation."

Albus smiled widely. "So you have. If the Flamels plan to turn away from their reclusion, I am more than willing to co-teach the N.E.W.T. potion and transfiguration students Alchemy.

Gellert has spent these last 50 years in seclusion working under a different name. He suggested that I turn completely away from Hogwarts, leave Harry Potter in your capable hands, and retire completely from public life. I am sure he'd be amused to co-teach ethics with me here at Hogwarts.

I can only imagine what my biographer would call me when it is discovered that I snuck a dark lord into Hogwarts to train the next generation."

"Albus, you decided long ago to turn away from the 'greater good' that Grindenwald espoused. When you finally tracked him down and cornered him for killing so many muggles, you were able to convince him to set it all aside in exchange for his life. His dark army was broken up into parts. They continue to practice dark magic; eschew torture, rape, murder, and widespread destruction; and have grown old enough to contribute to society. We both know a jail would not hold them. They walked far enough down the path of darkness for prison nor death to keep them.

Grindenwald is every bit as dangerous as Salazar Slytherin was, but he made a lifelong impact on dark wizard's impact on our world. He may be tired of what he does in continental Europe, but he'd be meddle in what you've done with your time here at Hogwarts. He might even be capable of containing Governor Malfoy, Herr Snape, and rest of Voldemort's minions.

It might take a dark wizard master whose lived that history to contain the latest dark lord. When you talk to him, tell him Lady Hogwarts and I require a binding oath before he ever set foot in your residence, in a classroom, or interacts with any student. Gellert will offer us a security all his own."

Albus responded. "We'll see what Gellert has to say.

My brother, Aberforth, is willing to help me make my transition to Emeritus Headmaster. He can switch off with the new defense professor. He has Molly Weasley running the Hogshead Bar most days. Before you ask, I am sure there is a story behind her new assignment. I do not know what the story is. Aberforth is pleased with her management style. Most of his customers have learned to adapt to her style.

If you have three elderly gentlemen such as ourselves at Hogwarts at the same time, the stamp we leave on Hogwarts will forever change what retired headmasters are expected to do. You will be forced to find a master who is willing to grade all essays, assign homework, and administer tests. I'm too old for any of that."

"I agree in principle Albus. Once I see what you intend to do, I can tell you after a few months whether it will work or not."

"The student becomes the teacher. You are welcome to manage my labors as best you can." Albus' eyes twinkled madly as completed his sentence.

Minerva asked the Sorting Hat. "Does this satisfy Lady Hogwarts?"

"She has no complaints. The last dark wizard to run Hogwarts was Headmaster Black. It would be a change of pace to have an openly declared former dark wizard at Hogwarts."

The Sorting Hat asked the Lady when she would inform Minerva about the convergence of educators scheduled to descend on Hogwarts over the winter break. Lady Hogwarts responded that Minerva needed to get through this mountain troll challenge to her administration. If she could competently handle all affected, she would let Professor Flitwick inform Minerva about the upcoming extravaganza.

Across the pond, Hermione Granger felt like someone had walked across her grave. She was freaked out and didn't know why. She had come to love Avalon. It was so much better than her primary school. Her mentors were wonderful. There were other students who challenged her and worked at their grades just as hard as she did.

Her parents had visited her every other weekend to see her, check on how her school work was going, and participate in the Avalon Parent Association. She was friendly with a few of the other children. It could not have gotten better academically. Her problem was she was bored. It seemed like something was missing. The chilly feeling she had gotten today was a small portion of it.

She was thinking about getting involved in the Quodpot League Avalon had. Her flying instructor coaxed her onto a broom and worked with her daily. She thought since she overcame her fear of heights, maybe she had a chance to defeat her failed athleticism. She wished wizards offered more team sports, then she would not be limited to quidditch or quodpot. She was grateful that so many students disregarded sports here. At least now she would have a chance in a team sport. She looked forward to each and everyday at Avalon.

Molly Weasley had decided to return home to Arthur. She missed him. Now that Ginny informed her of all the wonderful things she did at that muggle school, she better understood what Arthur had been trying to do. He still had no business making decisions for their children without her consent, but she realized Arthur had a dream of what his family could be. Molly had stuck with what she knew and failed to venture out into the wider world.

She had spent her time away from her husband thinking about what she wanted. Madam Rosmerta owned and operated the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade. She had taken her talents and expanded them. Molly could do the same thing. Ginny was the last child at home. Aberforth would let Molly expand his business and use her talents because he wanted something new too. He had been stuck in the past for far too long. The way she saw it, they could both come into the future together. She'd have to convince Arthur to expand the Burrow so she could have a bigger kitchen.

Arthur was seething after he read Percival's letter. As soon as he could collect his thoughts, he would be gathering Bill and Charlie together and head to Hogwarts. He could tell Percy was upset. Bill could calm him down and help him learn how to manage his duties better. Percy took himself too seriously not to address his concerns quickly.

Charlie could return to the castle to help Hagrid manage the mountain trolls. It would help Charlie at the dragon reserve. Mountain trolls were some of the best workers for dragons because they were so magic resistant. If Charlie could manage this feat, the reserve would release Charlie to work with Arthur's new business. Bill had already managed to wrangle some concessions from the goblins. He would reserve his true ire for Albus Dumbledore. He needed to know how this happened and what they were prepared to do about it.

Augusta Longbottom knew exactly what the Board of Governors would do about the mountain troll situation. The wards surrounding Hogwarts and Hogsmeade would need an overhaul and should be updated to protect against creatures. Govs. Vance and Malfoy should be willing to allocate funds for this project. In fact, the Board of Governors needed to overhaul and update a multitude of security features throughout Hogwarts. Her brother, Mr. Unspeakable, could find the best disciplines to do the work. With Hogwarts taking the steps to become self sufficient, the next step for the Governors was decide what they should be done to prevent tomorrow's emergencies. Neville seemed to understand how badly it could have gone for each student. The Governors would have to expand their schedules to include safety measures for the entire building.

Minerva's first response her new position was to call a staff meeting at 9 a.m. in the Great Hall. She asked the schools sharing the castle to be present. They needed to review the memories of what took place last night, decide on new safety precautions in the event of an emergency, and help to child proof or idiot proof the zone of the castle where they taught or lived. It would not help the students feel safe if the staff had no idea what was going on. The staff needed to be trained in sending and receiving patronus messages. No one had sat still and coordinated their efforts last night. At best, it was a hit or miss operation from start to finish. They could do better and they should have done better.

The next order of business was to contact the parents to explain what happened last night. Minerva decided she would need one parent or a group of parents to stay on top of communicating with the parents. In the past, she had only contacted them if there were disciplinary problems. She could do better.

Albus could deal with official inquiries from the ministry. The last step she could take was to meet with the students. They needed to understand the steps which the staff would take to help keep them safe. She would keep the students in the two towers, release them for lunch in the Great Hall, and meet with them after their meal. They should know no matter how safe the staff tried to keep them, there could be events in the future which would leave them vulnerable like the mountain troll contingent deciding to forage for food within the castle. They should understand the responsibility of the prefects, but also know that the prefects alone could not have kept the students' safe last night.

Amelia Bones, Head of Magical Law Enforcement was the first guest to appear at Hogwarts. Hagrid brought her to Minerva's office no sooner than she arrived at the gates. Hagrid returned to the fields and to his fabulous creatures. Minerva took the burden of having a conversation as a responsibility of a teacher to a parent. Albus could answer any law enforcement questions Amelia had.

"As I am sure Susan told you, we had a teacher lead a clan of mountain trolls into the building last night. The staff searched the building immediately and captured any trolls found. A few staff was injured and is recovering in the Infirmary. Morning classes have been canceled. Your daughter helped the sixth and seventh years defend her class yesterday. As soon as the staff was able, those students were brought to Gryfindor tower was they have remained. The healers are in the process of examining each student to make sure they are all sufficiently healthy after yesterday's trial."

"I want to know what you will to do to insure Susan will not face any future mountain trolls who decide Hogwarts is a great place for food." Amelia watched Minerva closely because she could not accept any pat answers after yesterday.

"As you know Albus has given me leave to manage Hogwarts schedule. At no time did I or any member of the staff suspect that we had a specter of the Dark Lord Voldemort inhabiting this castle. Up until now, we thought Mr. Potter had effectively killed him. As a result of his displacement, we have had 10 blissful threat free years at Hogwarts. Now that we are better informed, we will take the war time precautions of 10 years to screen all applicants at Hogwarts. The children at Hogwarts will learn how to better protect themselves in the event of Voldemort re-emerging here at Hogwarts.

If you have some suggestions as a parent, I'd be glad to hear them. Albus handles all ministry inquiries." Minerva looked at the wall. She knew Amelia Bones when she was a student. Director Bones was like a dog with a bone with a new project. She would not let this go.

Amelia responded, "I have 2 suggestions as a parent and a few as a member of the Ministry. You must use your student's parents. We have been lax in letting Albus Dumbledore handle our children's best interests. He is one man, an aged leader. The muggles have parent associations in their schools helping the teachers to insure the health and safety of their children. We need to get the parents directly involved to counter previous bad Defense of Dark Arts teachers and the lack of a formal security force at Hogwarts.

You have a demerit system and prefects, but you need fully trained adult witches and wizards who can act to defend against a threat. As talented as the staff at Hogwarts is, you left your students poorly defended while most of the staff went to assess the threat. Your main asset or treasure was left to fight for itself. Blind luck averted disaster this time. You should let the professionals handle threat assessment, manage the problems when they arise, and clean up the aftermath while the staff fulfills their priority responsibilities at a place of learning.

The second suggestion is really the main one: it is time for the magical guardians to take responsibility for their charges. Each student has a magical guardian so far as their training and ministry affairs are concerned. The practice has fallen out of use for reasons as varied as the ministry wants to reject its responsibilities to its students and magical families do not want external interference within their family affairs. It is a magical guardian's responsibility to take a magical child from the start of their magical education to the completion of it. The parents and the magical guardians can help fill in the security deficit you have here at Hogwarts. We all want our children as safe as they can be. If there is a consistent presence here, you will have more than Hagrid guarding the gate.

The other matter is unrelated to the direct safety of Hogwarts students. It has to do with using Hogwarts grounds and facilities to begin refresher training for the magical people of Britain. Mr. Potter has shaken the pillars of the Ministry by asking for an account of his father's donation to Magical Law Enforcement. Minister Fudge knows as Mr. Potter's case moves forward the public will discover that he has misappropriated James Potter's fortune. He has done none of what the Ministry was bound to do for the people of Britain. He is scrambling to cover himself for 10 years of mismanagement.

The MLE is obligated to teach basic self defense post N.E.W.T. level for each magical resident. There is money available to teach basic warding techniques for home and workplace. James Potter also made a provision to extend the Dark Defense League if they promised to act as a secondary force for the Aurors and the Unspeakables. Voldemort was able to kill as many muggles and muggleborns last time because they failed to have an escape plan, did not have the necessary portkeys, their floo access was denied, and the Ministry was not alerted in time. The Dark Defense League filled in the gaps, but failed to reach enough people in time.

Veteran aurors and unspeakables are coming out of retirement or inactive status to train the people, but we are asking the schools to help us facilitate a class schedule for evening hours. We also like to provide food and lodging for our veterans throughout the year for this MLE program. We'd be prepared to allow Hogwarts to students to observe. If any student is capable, they can participate in any basic class we host.

We'd pay Hogwarts to host our evening program. We are currently expanding the Auror academy to brush up on our skills and strengthen our core capabilities. Mad Eye has been given leave to manage the Potter professional development fund. He is going to make every single auror, unspeakable, and law enforcement auxiliary competent and capable of fighting forces like he trained against Grindenwald. Voldemort overran our aurors, but Moody wants to bring the Grindenwald standard back.

The corollary position Moody holds is the citizenry must be capable of defending itself. It took eight years of training for the Grindenwald fighters to battle as well as they did. The citizenry has to be able to defend itself against the raids we have already experienced; otherwise they will be sheep waiting for a busy Sheppard to notice the danger before it gobbles them up. We have wasted 10 years. If Voldemort is determined to re-emerge, we don't have 10 more years to wait."

Minerva had taken notes about what the MLE needed. Even with the other schools currently housed within Hogwarts, Hogwarts basement to dungeon levels were currently unused. She wasn't sure how she could work out all the facility requirements, but she thought she might be able to swing it and reduce the current budget shortfall too. Madam Pomphrey was looking to expand the Infirmary and use St. Mungo healers to fulfill staffing positions. The apothecary could also have a ready made client base if that many magicals passed through Hogwarts on a weekly basis. If the MLE was willing to train the residents of Hogsmeade, then she had her security force.

Minerva had to sell it first. "Amelia, I'd be willing to open the doors of Hogwarts for the British people. Our current enrollment has dropped. We need to fill the shortfall that exists here in order for this project to be a success. As I've been reminded lately, Hogwarts charter separates us from any muggle or magical government. If we host this service for the people, we are not opening up our books for the Ministry to do whatever it wants here. When you are here, you will respect our independence in all things.

We also need to build a dedicated public floo network access point by the gates. Our wards will help keep people with bad intentions off our grounds. The ministry can key public portkeys to that site so people will not interfere with the normal operation of Hogsmeade businesses. We will house the veteran trainers, but the public will need to use the Three Broomsticks or Hogs Head if they want an overnight stay. You will need to work with them to expand their businesses to accommodate the kind of traffic you will create in Hogsmeade."

Amelia had jotted down a few notes too. "I will talk to Albus about what the Ministry needs to do to guard against any future Quirrel sized Trojan horses. I will also find out how much money we will devote to Hogwarts for this venture. It will take some time to get Magical Transport to build a hub of fireplaces for a public floo access point at Hogwarts gate. I will get Head Auror Rufus Scrimgeur to speak to the Hogsmeade mayor so the residents can prepare for increased traffic. Scrimgeur should be able to get the mayor to agree to use unused portions of Hogsmeade as a practice area for simulated raids so the public can be remember of how dangerous it all was. Please equip several classrooms to be dedicated for defense classes while we iron out all the details. If I know Alastor, he will inspect and rearrange the area repeatedly before we ever get the first class together."

Minerva spoke up immediately. "I like Mr. Moody as well as anyone who has fought alongside him in the last war. The corridors the MLE uses will need to be separated from the rest of Hogwarts by intent wards and MLE personnel that keeps the public out. While we would like to accommodate the MLE, we can't have the public disturb the rest of Hogwarts normal operation. As long as Mr. Moody refrains from wandering throughout the building, he can spend as much time as he wants in the MLE apportioned areas. I'm sure Albus will enjoy matching wits with Mr. Moody." Minerva stood and walked around her desk. She shook Amelia's hand.

Amelia smiled, "I look forward to working with you in the future. Do not hesitate to call me as a parent or as the director of the MLE if you need assistance. We will come and investigate any problems you have."

Minerva called the Head house elf, Miriam, to see Director Bones out of the castle. Minerva started to wonder if Albus talked her into this role because he knew what was coming. She wouldn't be surprised knowing his history.


	16. Chapter 16

Off shoot of the Inheritance and Fate Universe

Harry rested in Ian's home trying to get well. Ian offered Harry the option of going to Gringotts for the goblins to discern what happened to his motor functions, convalesce at Ian and Gale's home, or come to St. Mungo where Ian's team could diagnose and monitor him. Harry chose to stay with Ian and Gale. He asked Gale if he could spend some of his days in her office watching them work and learning more about the ministry functions. He had Argile bring his television along with his belongings from Hogwarts to their home.

He had notified his muggle school that he had been injured and was currently being treated. They notified him that he could only pass the current year if he was instructed for 170 days out of a 180 day school year. He could choose to repeat the year or hire a certified private tutor to keep him current in his school work while he was bed bound. In addition hiring a squib tutor for his muggle classwork, he found a Hogwarts graduate to help him work through the first year curriculum.

Ian came to him after a couple of days of treatment. "Harry, your problem stems from the exorcism charm Healer Chatney cast on Quirrelmort. Voldemort is bound to this world by soul anchors. Your curse scar acted as a leech powering Voldemort's spirit. When the goblins performed the procedure in August, we initially drained as much of the leech away from you as we could. We planned to come back throughout the year to follow up on what remained.

There were several complications along the way. You already know your memory was spotty and the leech was trying to get you to choose not to remove him from your body. It was like a tic burrowing into your skin attempting to live off you to sustain itself. When you find the tic, you can take tweezers and tear the main body off. It might leave the tic's legs behind that will cause you later problems. In removing the leech from your curse scar we left behind the equivalent of its legs. The leech cannot drain magical power from you any longer. In fact, the majority of what was taken away is currently fulfilling Hemlot's contracts.

When Healer Chatney banished the conscious spirit piece to its home, it impacted the metaphorical legs which remain embedded in you. Without knowing if there are any active horcruxes, we believe the Quirrelmort version called forth as much power as it could find from the leech at Gringotts. Since that leech has a form and purpose, it is available and is sustaining Quirrelmort. The healers were able to save Quirrel's life although a portion of his life force has been removed. The man is still functional.

The ritualistic magic imbued in the leech will not allow Quirrelmort to completely drain the leech. The Falstein heir is the first contract which will be fulfilled by the leech. The leech is entering its second trimester. The heir's magic is fighting to survive. Your duty to the contractual heir is to protect its life from harm until such time as the heir is capable of protecting himself."

Harry stopped Ian, "It sounds like you are going to tell me something I absolutely don't want to know. Before you go forward with this tic-leech explanation, have you seen the muggle movie, Alien, Aliens, or that franchise?"

Ian asked Harry, "Do I need to understand something about this film that will help you understand what is happening?"

Harry responded, "Yes. If you don't know what I am talking about ask Gale to get that movie series. After you watch that horror movie, explain again. What you are describing means that I still have a soul anchor crippling me. Not only do I have a foreign entity inhabiting my body which your healers are trying to break apart piece by piece until it is gone but I also have a functional life clinging to me as a lifeline. My magic is not sustaining the tic, but my physical body is sustaining the Falstein heir. As long as the heir fights, my strength will be engaged in that struggle. It sounds like I am hosting an alien chest buster. The movie will explain the reference.

Will this always be the case?

Come back when you have some answers. I appreciate what you are trying to do for me, but I just want a resolution. I want you to get me an expert on quadriplegic health choices. If I am going to be immobile for a length of time, I need to figure out how to live.

Why a Potter father would curse his children with this nightmare is beyond me? What short term gain would justify this?" Harry just laid there, looking at the ceiling.

Ian stood over him. He placed his hand on Harry's shoulder. "Harry, you are not a quadriplegic. You still have sensation to your limbs and trunk. You have control over your bodily functions. There is no reason to think this is long term. We will research typical quadriplegic care so you won't worry. It is better for you to have more information than you need. Otherwise, your mind is going to create scenarios which will be far worse than what you need to consider.

Your magic has been trained to fill in for any physical deficit you suffer. We have been caring for all previous childhood injuries by regrowing bones, fixing nerve damage, and refiguring your growth. Your magic is resilient. It has done tremendous feats to enable you to do your chores, go to school, and stay away from direct threats. It will adapt to this new demand as well. You are stronger than you think, Harry.

I will get you well. You will feel better than you ever had. You will be able to return to Hogwarts and your classes while I manage your care. When you need additional help, I will be there for you. Gale and I discussed this; we agree that I will become your primary healer. I will still handle other clients at St. Mungo's. I just won't accept any new patients."

Harry gazed into Ian's eyes. He wanted to make sure Ian was sincere. When he was satisfied, he agreed. Harry would make the most of his time on his back. He would get better. He would do all that he could to insure he never felt as helpless as this again.

Neville took up a helpless cause with his cohorts. He had heard Headmistress McGonagall explain what happened after the Feast. He knew they needed a new Defense teacher. He also was excited that the teachers were going to teach the students defense in a similar fashion as history: at least two segment covering different methods and time periods. When the first years started defense, Neville was sure he'd learn more than most other Hogwarts graduates.

His quest was to get the older Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs to teach the first years what they had used to subdue the trolls. He knew the seventh years had N.E.W.T. studies to prepare, but he wanted to know how those students had already resolved the trolls. As unlikely as it was to happen again, he didn't want to be in that same situation not know what to do. When he first approached the seventh year prefect, Marjorie, to ask for help; she turned him down. She said the firsties were not strong enough to learn the spells the sixth and seventh years chose.

Neville refused to take no for an answer. He lobbied each prefect until he finally found Percy Weasley. After Neville explained what he needed, Percy told him how to repackage his request. Instead of asking the older years to review the spells used on the trolls, Percy directed him to ask think in terms of O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s. Percy told him the older years could review their first and second year studies but also give them insight on how the prefects chose their plan of attack. Then, Neville was not asking them to tackle a situation which would never happen again. Instead Neville asked them to review material they already had to understand if they wanted to successfully complete Hogwarts.

Neville asked Percy to present Neville's cause in Percy's terms to the prefects. Percy asked the older prefects to contact the graduates from the former two years to help them study for their tests. If they set up a schedule to review the last few years' worth of material, then each year could review something they knew and learn something different. Neville would have a varied number of teachers for the review segments. The upper years would be able to network and make the best possible marks.

Percy thought it was a win-win solution for everyone. After Percy talked to Bill about failing to protect everyone, Bill explained how difficult it was for a leader to make choices to protect the most people possible. Sometimes Percy would be in a position to choose who he could save and who was beyond his help. If Percy helped Neville with this, Percy might help insure those beyond his help would have a means to protect themselves. At least, Percy hoped so. He had relied on his teachers before. When he was beyond their reach, Percy had to make the best decision possible. Neville had to do the same.

The most surprising input Hogwarts received was from Governor Malfoy. After a Board meeting where Minerva outlined the Samhain events and the connected events, Lucius asked Minerva to hire a Dark Defense League person to be a place holder for the curse. Dumbledore could still work on the curse and teaching defense, but this defender could be the official Defense against the Dark Arts teacher. Minerva could choose whether she let the new teacher know the circumstances surrounding the teaching position, appoint the teacher for the rest of the year, or divide the responsibility with some other professor. The surprise stemmed from Lucius' recommendation. It was widely known that Lucius had no use for Gilderoy Lockehart. Lucius' sole explanation was that Lockehart was the perfect placeholder. He was in the midst of writing a book and would have no problem being the face of the defense position.

Life returned to normal at Hogwarts. The first years minus Harry completed the agrarian portion of original founders. They began studying what most recent classes learned when they entered Hogwarts. Madam Burbage explained that their classes would trade theory for practice until the first years reached the intermediate stage. Once they learned their magic worked, the teachers would teach them why it worked.

The agrarian portion demonstrated to the first years that they were already capable of taking care of themselves. In the founders' time, the founders had to give refuge to persecuted first generation magicals. Their philosophy directed the teachers to train new students to be self sufficient. If the new students knew they could care for themselves, they learned to resent their nonmagical relations less for turning them away from their homes. In time, this agrarian education helped students to understand their historical roots. The board and the staff agreed to bring it back, so that the first years had confidence in their later studies.

The few practical lessons that every Hogwart student learned to embrace were physical fitness, cooking, and household management. The staff had to learn new teaching techniques as they went along. Some enjoyed the new challenges, but others were irritated beyond belief.

Sybil Trewlaney was the most discontent. Headmistress McGonagall had forced her into a treatment regimen for her alcohol dependence if Sybil wished to remain as a teacher at Hogwarts. Sybil also had to register her gift at the Oracle at Delphi. They would be able to rate her talent and give her the support a proper seer needed. The body of oracles could also accredit whatever it was Sybil thought she had been teaching her students for the past decade. The Headmistress left no doubt about the fate of divination at Hogwarts if she could not fulfill her duties.

Headmistress Anise from the Derringer's Bistro of Culinary Arts was the most content of the extended Hogwarts staff. She and her assistant had verbally fought this expansion of her school for months now. When Lady Hogwarts first extended the invitation to build her school, she thought it was some sort of joke. No school that she was aware of had given other schools carte blanche access to their facilities. Most administrators were a jealous lot, afraid that new people would steal their secrets and coerce students to leave the home institution.

Assistant Headmaster Artie Kovach had to eat his doom and gloom. The Hogwarts elves were delighted to share their kitchen space. The elves first demonstrated their routine and shared their monthly menu with Derringer. They outlined the animals and plants the Hogwarts Farm provided and the producers who provided the rest. The elves even provided an overview of the food service most magicals could hope to prepare for themselves if they did not employ elves.

Anise and Artie reviewed their performance in educating the next generation of Trini chefs and tried to figure out how much they could reasonably be expected to share with Hogwarts students. Anise managed to convince Hogwarts elves to train under their guidance for the foreseeable future. She would be able to expose them to every cooking technique a Derringer chef utilized. Artie talked Minerva into requiring the N.E.W.T. capable students of understanding basic food safety and meal preparation.

Anise constantly tested the Trini Derringer students by assigning them particular meals. Usually Derringer students trained under master chefs as line cooks. These Derringer students were assigned as managing cook who had to coordinate their entire kitchen staff. Each Derringer started the year being responsible for one dish designed to feed 100 people. As the year progressed, each derringer was responsible for a plate that consisted of 5 dishes designed to feed 150 people. The more intricate the plate, the more kitchen staff each Derringer needed.

Most of the elves remained dedicated to the normal Hogwarts' fare. The others learned as much as they could learn from the budding Derringer chefs. Anise had arranged to sell its dishes with Aberforth Dumbledore's Hogshead clientele. There were a few local muggle taverns willing to sell a wider fare too. The space Hogwarts had provided for teaching were adequate, but Anise wanted to build her own institute in Hogsmeade if she could find enough willing local students. Anise thought if she spread enough Derringer food to the wizarding and muggle populace, then she should be able to gain enough new students to make a new building possible.

Minerva had asked Anise if she would be willing to feed the new Ministry led self defense classes. Artie asked Anise to consider bringing other competing chefs to Hogwarts so Derringer could spread the cost of building a new culinary institute to other culinary schools. She recognized that the British magicals did not disclose their status to muggles like Derringer did in Trinidad, but she also recognized that Hogsmeade was a haven in Britain for a different sort. If she could expand into these defense courses, she would bring the attention Derringer needed for students. Only time would tell whether or not what she wanted would be feasible. She had already let Hogwarts know they could fill her school's slot with a new institution for the following school year.

Todd McMillan seized on self starters as his basis for revolutionizing Hogwarts. With the smaller numbers, he was able to single out potential self study students. His theory as one of the Ravenclaws Flitwick invited to the school during the summer was change happened one student at a time. Hogwarts was focused on teaching the most students, the most lessons in seven years. McMillian believed a self directed student could make strides forward if they were acknowledged as they reached goal posts through their matriculation. Those goals could be within the Hogwarts core curriculum, but McMillian bet that the more meaningful goals the students set for their own lives would push Hogwarts the farthest.

Headmistress McGonagall and staff were worried about what their standing in the British community continued to be especially when forced to acknowledge how many students chose different institutions for the year. They would have to win those students back if they wanted to continue to exist as a primary school for magicals 11 to 18 years of age. With the students being exposed to schools abroad, Hogwarts would have to become as current and as relevant as any other institution. Their focus was top down.

In McMillan's view, the student satisfaction came from knowing what they were trying to learn and matching those expectations. Their parents would interact with their children directly about accomplishing their parent's benchmarks. McMillan used Hogwarts current library as a basis for setting up individual study, strengthening basic skills, and pushing the staff to take note of the ways they failed to meet their students' needs. McMillan had a difficult time convincing professors that they needed to focus on their individual students' shortcomings. He had taken the issue up with a number of Flitwick's team of innovators so that Flitwick could present the Ravenclaws' efforts to the Headmistress. McMillan's ultimate goal was that no child would fall through the cracks at Hogwarts no matter how many years it took for them to learn basic skills.

Madam Hooch was able to create a Quidditch camp and flying clinic with some her past colleagues from the Harpies. She worked with the Idady training academy, focused on teaching magicals basic auror skills, so Hogwarts students became physically fit. They had to a basic competency on broom flight, apparition, and carpet riding before they left Hogwarts. She used Idady's training guide as the basis for whipping Hogwarts into shape. She has already discussed a summer program which could offset the cost for new equipment for her department. She was thrilled the leeway she had been given to get Hogwarts moving in the right direction.

Much farther south, Arthur Weasley was contemplating a new summer program too. It was doable, but it required a level of patience, deceit, and courage that he hadn't shown in years. Once Arthur explained what his original muggle based business entailed his older sons had leapt into action. Maybe he had been blind all these years, but without Molly's opinion or what now looked like interference, his sons had been more than willing to get involved even if they had their own career plans and paths that led them away from what Arthur was directly interested. Muggleborns and their muggle parents had bought his cars, his expansion charms, his accident resistant and acceleration runes, and had thought of new ways for their automobiles to be improved. With the ministery's licensing for his pursuits, he was able to give a few different people the option of opening their own muggle based businesses. They were all based at the Burrow.

In response to the level of interest, Arthur had paid off the Burrow and began buying surrounding property. He dumped any existing cash into paying for any additional training Bill or Charlie needed. Some of the newly bought land served as a reserve for animals Charlie wanted to rescue. Bill had spent a lot of time trying out new warding schemes on various pieces of the expanded Burrow. Some wards came from his time studying with the goblins, but Bill had been making creative individual wards for a long time. Once Arthur had appropriated the muggleborn registry lists from the ministry, he asked Bill to use creative wards to keep out any and all unauthorized users. Percy had found out how through his ministry hacker had been in accessing confidential muggle artifact files and he had led Arthur to notify the DMLE to review the security of their files. Evidently, what Amelia had found had caused her to renovate her section of the ministry. She set up a satellite office at her home. The only personnel able to work off site were those who Moody cleared.

Most of Amelia's staff was compromised. Moody had taken on the core of those who were not and began retraining them. Moody had joined the Auror Department when aurors were required to be trained for a five year introduction. It weeded out many of the bad apples he saw now. After the initial five year intensive training period, aurors were assigned to hot zones around the world so they became battle hardened and capable of quick deployment. By the time, Grindenwald had risen most of the Moody era aurors could independently track down dark wizards who would be prized above all others, seek out new recruits, and find access to hard to know information. The new era Auror Department leaned too heavily on the unspeakables and the influence of the politicians for muscle.

Amelia worked closely with Rufus Scrimgeour in tearing down the means of corruption for the remaining DMLE staff. With a few Ravenclaw charms, wards, and transfiguration masters, the DMLE put records in the center of the department. All the support staff and independent accounting firm worked in glass enclosed offices in full view of the records. The worst aurors had cubicles surrounding the support staff. The command captain reviewed all closed cases with each auror in a department wide review. After the initial investigation turned up inconsistencies, the auror would be turned over to the independent firm to close all oversights and point out malfeasance to the command captain and Amelia.

Unbeknownst to the good people of the wizarding world, their daily calls to the aurors were being answered by Auckland aurors. Amelia had called in favors with any nations where British aurors had performed any heroic deeds that the nation recognized. The foreign born aurors were headquartered at Bones manor and partnered with the uncorrupted British aurors. These nations loaned enough aurors to Amelia that the gap in policing was not noticed by any other ministry departments.

The Azkaban staff was reassigned to St. Mungo's for long term treatment due to dementor exposure. After they recovered, Amelia was going to send them to friendly nations to find out how they policed their prisoners. The corrupted aurors took the place of the Azkaban staff. Each auror's assigned Azkaban duty corresponded to the number of crimes they covered up, cases they ignored, and the harm they caused. Once their ultimate loyalties were discovered with veritaserum and their motives uncovered, they signed a binding magical agreement for the agreed time period. It was all done internally. The only people who knew exactly how wide spread the corruption went worked within the DMLE.

The first test case for the new DMLE was the case against Marcus Flint. Then Deputy Headmistress Minerva had laid out a plan of action to reform the head of house organization at the beginning of the year. The Ravenclaw contingent reviewed the dictates of each head of house's contract to Hogwarts for each student's well-being. The new Slytherin head, Barabbas Longfellow, discovered a number of rape victims in his house. He worked with Poppy's team from St. Mungo's to seek help and refuge, but he needed Minerva to expel the rapists and the DMLE to imprison them. When he started recalling former Slytherin students to Hogwarts, he found a legacy of tolerance for physical abuse and sexual favors.

Marcus Flint had a history of forcing unwilling girls and boys into doing his schoolwork. When he failed, he took his anger out on his helpers. Within the last year, he decided he should never go to bed alone. He forced his attentions on his helpers, boys and girls alike throughout the past year. His roommates had learned from hard experience not to confront Flint and ignore his conversations and behaviors. Longfellow noticed because those Slytherin helpers were falling apart. Some of them never slept in Slytherin house. They were repeatedly missing bed checks. Others could not concentrate in their classes and were badly failing. The worst cases were in the infirmary with injuries.

Longellow left it to now Headmistress McGonagall to investigate the staff for who knew and ignored the horrific scope and proportions of abuse in his house. His first official act that would have an extreme impact on the life of Hogwarts was institute a self defense class that operated outside of the Defense of Dark Arts curriculum. Each student had the ability to influence anyone they wanted to perform sexual acts, force menial labor, or any other service they wanted. Every student needed to know how to defend themselves against everyday laziness and corruption by other wand wielders. Longfellow consulted with the Ravenclaw contingent to develop a mandatory ethics course. If Hogwarts was producing unethical magical users, he doubted the U.K. could reach its true potential.

Headmistress McGonagall separated the accused students from the rest of the student body. She asked Pomona Sprout and Filius Flitwick to serve as fact finders to discover as much as they could about the favors and existing atmosphere in Slytherin as possible before the Headmistress confronted Dumbledore and Snape with their findings. The isolated students still turned in their assignments and received instruction, but their academic performance was reviewed from their beginning days. The emerging pattern forced McGonagall to send missives to all recently graduated Slytherins. Hogwarts had miserably failed its most ambitious members. The Headmistress could not retrain generations of Slytherins, but she could facilitate specialized learning for those who had been hurt the most. She asked Longfellow to hire a team of Slytherins to work out a set of objectives Hogwarts could use to harness these student's skills but protect the at-risk members.

Amelia Bones took the Flint case to Rufus Scrimgeour and Alaster Moody. They represented the political and practical wings of the DMLE. If Bones took the Flint case to the Wizengamot, Flint would never see a day in Azkaban nor would they stand for expulsion for Hogwarts. Amelia Bones needed to insure Flint learned to never force his attentions on another person or systematically demean everyone whom he came into contact. She knew from experience that Flint had the makings of a great future Death Eater. She tasked Scrimgeour to find a politically viable solution that would pass a public Wizengamot hearing. Since Moody was the law unto himself, she asked Moody to figure out a way to keep Flint's talents away from a risen Voldemort. There were plenty of Flint like Hogwart graduates which could serve as Voldemort canon fodder if Moody could not keep him otherwise engaged. Amelia let Scrimgeour and Moody know they were welcome to use other departments in the Ministry to help as little or as much as they wanted.

The Ravenclaw contingent had worked most of the year reviewing and revising Hogwarts' curriculum. They had worked with the Heads of House on social issues that affected student performance. When Longfellow uncovered the physical intimidation and sexual favors in Slytherin House, they called the others heads together for a meeting on student conduct overall. Ravenclaws had a problem with bullying. Gryfindors had the challenge following the most vocal students without struggling for individual voice.

Everyone was horrified to find the problem with ethical clarity and intimidation not limited to Slytherin House. The Headmistress was dismayed to find she failed her Gryfindors as badly as any other Hogwarts staff. The Ravenclaw contingent suggested that the Hogwarts staff be trained as a whole so they could be reminded how they could protect the students the best and get the best academic results. Filius Flitwick requested that the staff begin their retraining for 5 day weekends while the Heads of House plan student trips with adult or parental supervision. It would free the rest of the staff to explore the discovered concerns and labor toward workable solutions.

After Dumbledore received the dressing down Arthur Weasley gave him for sending unsupervised students to face trolls, Dumbledore took the advice Aberforth gave him to divest himself from any additional responsibility. He activated the old members of the Order of the Phoenix and let them know that the spirit of Voldemort had possessed a teacher and invaded Hogwarts. Sturgis Podmore, Arthur Weasley, Mundamus Fletcher, and Remus Lupin answered the call.

Albus reviewed the basic strategy he used to fight Voldemort after Albus discovered his rise. Since Sturgis practiced law in front of the Wizengamot, Albus explained the first inkling came when the number of deaths among muggles and muggleborns rose without any specific or targeted action from the Wizengamot. Albus began talking to the aurors about who was being harassed and what was being done to protect the public.

When Albus noticed to the shortfall in protection to half bloods, muggleborn and muggles; he called the first meeting of the Order of the Phoenix. It started off slow and their call to action was rocky when the Order was most efficient. Albus detailed the problems he faced in funding the Order and its missions. James Potter and Sirius Black's financial assistance made the Order possible. He asked them to think about what he knew of the half blood Tom Riddle who later chose to become Lord Voldemort.

Albus listed out the number of challenges he had choosing to become a light lord before Gellert chose to push for magical peoples' dominance in the larger world. He outlined his oversight of Tom Riddle during his Hogwarts years. He explained that the European magical population as a whole lost at least a third of its number in the fighting. Voldemort came in behind Gellert and reduced the number of British magicals by another fifth. Albus explained that if the second rise had a similar impact as the first rise, then Britain was looking at a disasterous future where the Wizengamot might choose to force people into bad marriages.

"Friends, my time as Albus Dumbledore the man who can do all things is over. I have been in the Wizengamot since my father was sent to Azkaban for killing muggles. I went to the ICW after I defeated Gellert and have served there for the past 50 years. I have taught at Hogwarts my entire adult career. I spent 10 years trying to reduce the impact Voldemort had on our world. I pass the torch of the Order of Phoenix to your generation. I will be here to help you plan and help you prepare, but it will be up to you to do a better job than I did 10 years ago, save as many lives as you can, and preserve a magical presence here in the U.K." Albus finished his spiel and felt relieved to have passed on this burden.


	17. Chapter 17

A brief note: I will add this note to the introduction chapter. I want to acknowledge and thank all of you readers who faithfully return to each chapter to see what new updates I add. I try to publish a chapter when I have at least 2,000 words because I'd rather to see a new chapter sooner for a story that I'm following. As a writer, I don't think a chapter is finished unless it has 5,000 words. I haven't written a new chapter in about 45 days, but yet and still, you all keep coming back checking. I appreciate that. I will respond to my new reviews before I publish the next chapter. Thanks again.

Harry Potter had been away from Hogwarts for a little under three months. Mrs. Ealy kept her promise to keep Harry informed on the school work he missed. He was thankful that his Gryfindor Head of House was his family's matron at Hogwarts. He was current on all his actual assignments. Neville, his Gryfindor brother, informed him every three days about the activities he was missing at Hogwarts that did not count as assignments. The Deputy Headmaster Creswell informed him that as long as he had a certified medical excuse and handed in all his assignments Harry would be able to advance to the second year.

Harry stayed out of the muggle system with the same excuse. He had a medical doctor sign off on his illness and his treatment. The muggles would allow him to make up the school work, but they required him to be in class for a certain number of hours every year. He had missed too many days to advance into the next level. He hired a squib teacher who could help make up the difference in missing information, but Harry would have to work through some sort of alternative summer schedule to advance or he would have to repeat the year.

Harry was a little pissed that his first independent effort at trying to learn more than the average British wizard had been short circuited, but he was not going to be discouraged. He would make whatever sacrifices he needed to make to complete his basic muggle education. His mom was muggleborn. He felt that he would be true to her roots if he dedicated his efforts to finish what he had started with the Dursleys.

Ian had found the Dursleys, ran tests on them, and found out only one had been coerced during his time as the cupboard dweller. Ian found that Petunia alone had signs that she had been magically compelled to behave in certain ways. Her husband and her son were working under no compulsions. Ian questioned Petunia at length about her attitude, her behavior, and her desires. In the end, Ian determined that while Petunia was remorseful about what the Dursleys had done to him, she missed the luxuries 4 Privet Drive afforded her more than her heartfelt remorse. Harry did not see how he could talk to her so long as she was trying to get something from him. If Petunia found a way into the luxury she wanted without involving him, he would talk to her. Until then, he sent a message worded to the effect that he would keep in contact with her, but he was not able to see her yet.

Ian had taken the entire Dursley affair personally. Since he lost all of his family except his sister and his nephew, he didn't understand Petunia Dursley's behavior. While Harry was indisposed with the treatments for his growth and nutrition, unblocking his magic core, and stabilizing his connection to the alien predator baby that was stealing his magic; Ian decided that Harry needed to get a pureblood overview on rearing children. Ian let Harry know he did not have to directly raise the baby so long as he watched over his or her well-being. He could play godfather, be a magical guardian, or be hands off as long as the baby was being adequately cared for. Ian informed Harry that as soon as Harry addressed the lack of care the Dursleys delivered him; Harry could bar the pureblood wizard responsible to be disqualified as a future parent, godfather, or magical guardian of any kind. There was a litany of expectations which came with being a wizard head of house or a guardian for another house. When a wizard failed in the execution of their responsibilities, magic held him uniquely responsible.

Harry learned quite of bit on his back. He decided the moment he was able to walk around and care for himself that he would never again take being self sufficient for granted. Gale, Ian's wife, had been helpful in keeping Harry's mind busy while he recovered from the magical exhaustion. She taught him about her job at the Ministry as a Muggleborn mediator. She gave him cases she had resolved and asked him to come with a solution for the kinds of problems she faced. Harry surprised Gale by some of the unique solutions he proposed to resolve the problems.

There was the case of Podmore versus Kennedy. Gale had gotten the pureblood Podmore to relinquish his clients to muggleborn Kennedy because the clients decided he was the better barrister. Podmore tried to take Kennedy's assets as his due because Kennedy did not have the proper backing in the Wizengamot. The case was referred to Gale because the Wizengamot wanted to expand businesses beyond Diagon Alley for a couple centuries. Kennedy was helping their efforts by enticing new businesses away from Diagon Alley to the coasts and other places. The Wizengamot's hope was if Britain increased trade, they could encourage a renewal for their entire country. Podmore's hurt pride would cost much more than the Wizengamot was willing to pay.

The laws on the books encouraged purebloods to retain existing clients and businesses so the market remained stable. Gale's challenge had been to recognize the limits of the Wizengamot's rules, but find a way for Kennedy to push more aggressively in the field. Gale could not overturn the law who protected purebloods for centuries. She recognized that muggleborns left Britain for other countries because the system was rigged against their innovations. Her office was built to keep the best and brightest of the half blood and muggleborns in Britain. It was the only concession that the Wizengamot pureblood contingent would accept when the reform Wizengamot members tried to repeal the discriminatory laws.

Harry heard the problems raised and asked whether Gale had tried to look through the muggle human rights turmoil in the two previous decades to find a solution. When two opposing groups fought over the same ground, one or two things happened. The one group destroyed the other and/or made them subservient to the first. The two figured out how to live with limited resources peacefully or the two groups merged violently if need be. Harry asked whether or not Podmore wanted to pass his law business to his children or if Kennedy poached clients without notice or giving Podmore a shot at maintaining his existing client base. Harry asked Gale whether she had an interest of having repeat customers or giving them a way to continue discussing the issues raised.

Gale concluded that Harry would be the perfect summer worker for her office. She was able to get Podmore to concede on clients so long as Kennedy consulted Podmore before he took any other future Podmore clients. Kennedy agreed to give Podmore notice of any existing clients if Podmore didn't complain to the Wizengamot before he came to Gale's department. The bad publicity was enough to destroy a non-pureblood's future ambitions. Gale told Harry the underlying issue was pride and professional standing. If Harry could learn to be on the look out for wizard's and witch's reputation and avoid clashes with the magical being's ego, Harry would go far in his new world.

Gale gave Harry a new case each day to resolve. Harry surprised Gale because he gave a new approach to each problem. He enjoyed the interaction and decided to make the MacKenzie his home for the summer. From what Ian and Gale said, he could take the Knight Bus, floo, or portkey back and forth to summer school. Gale said she would help him with the newborn until he decided who the adoptive parents would be. Ian asked him if he would be interested in continuing the wizarding culture and custom classes. Harry was just happy to find somewhere he belonged and where the people were truly happy to have him. Harry decided he would learn whatever they had to teach him as long as he was welcomed into their home.

Amelia had taken to reforming the DMLE with an abandon that the wizarding world had failed to see for centuries. The Ministry contained the uncorrupted aurors who favored purebloods. Rufus Scrimgeour had overseen their progress through internal review. Amelia met with him everyday to determine what work these aurors could reasonably conduct.

"We've been at this new work environment for a couple months, Amelia. Where are we going?" Rufus ran his hands through his balding head, frustrated by the slow progress.

"If you want to be let into the changes, meet Moody, Shacklebolt, and myself tonight for dinner at Bones manor." Amelia tapped the desk to let him know his time was drawing to a close.

"I will be there." Rufus moved to the door.

"Be prepared to bring your plans for the department. It will be a long meeting." Amelia waved him out of her office. She had another meeting that she did not look forward to conducting.

Shacklebolt met her in the hallway. They walked over to the Barty Crouch's office. Amelia's passing piece of advice to Shacklebolt, "Please take as many mental notes as possible about body language and any unspoken messages here. One day, you might be called to take responsibility for the DMLE. I want you to understand a few things before that day comes."

Shacklebolt had entered the DMLE during the height of the war with Voldemort. He survived but he tried to never stand out in the department. "Why would I ever take over leadership as a ministry head? I doubt my background would be sufficient to advance so high."

Amelia acknowledged his comments with a nod of her head. "Just because you don't want to be seen does not mean that your talent at solving cases is not recognized. I need your eyes and ears to be sharp for this meeting. We can talk about equipping you to lead the daily operations for the department after this meeting. You are going to need to coordinate quite a bit in the short term. Your work is reliable."

When they reached Barty's office, Amelia asked the assistant to let Barty know they were there for their initial meeting. They stood waiting while the assistant gained permission to let them enter Barty's office.

"Hello Mr. Crouch. We have a code 99 situation afoot. You operated my department throughout the time of Voldemort. I need and want your help to get the Auror department battle ready in the next couple of years. Will you help us?" Amelia and Shacklebolt stood at the end of Barty's desk watching his reaction.

Barty straightened his collar and smoothed out his sleeve. "You know the minister moved me away from the DMLE because of my son's associations. What makes you think he will reconsider?"

Amelia took one of the seats in front of Barty's desk and offered Shacklebolt the other. "We'd like to discuss the code 99 situation with all the safety protocols in place."

Barty stood up from behind his desk, wand in hand, and circled his office checking for any listening or surveillance devices. To his surprise, he found several uncomplicated devices throughout his office. Barty had been out of action for a decade, suffocating in international standards of cauldron bottoms, sports or other gaming, and other drivel Fudge gave him. He refused to accept the indignity of resigning in disgrace, so he marched on. There had to be someone in the ministry who was excessively paranoid to monitor his activities.

Barty nodded to Amelia. She stood. "I will contact Minister Fudge in the coming months to have you partially reassigned to the DMLE. Thanks for your time." She handed him an invitation to dinner at Bones manor for that evening.

Barty looked around the room, wand in hand, and searched for any other oddities. "I look forward to hearing from you or Minister Fudge. Take your time. I am completely satisfied in this department."

Shacklebolt and Amelia walked back to her office. "If you would check me, Shacklebolt, I'd feel better."

Shacklebolt discreetly moved his wand by his side. "You have several tracking and surveillance charms on you. Their origins are hard to determine. We need an entirely different protocol for any meetings within the ministry."

"We'll discuss it at another time. I will check you, first. Tomorrow is time enough for any real decisions." Amelia handed Shacklebolt an invitation and nodded her head. "I have found several charms I don't recognize on you."

In the meantime, Moody had received the same summons to Bones manor for later in the evening. He had been having the time of his life for the past couple of months. His initial team had 40 members. He divided them up in 3 teams of 10 with the other remaining 10 becoming a support crew. He made sure after a day of training, they went home sore and hardly able to move. Their lives had changed drastically.

Everyday he asked them whether they wanted to survive as aurors or change ministry jobs for something much less demanding. Their first mission would be happening in the next month. There was a dark lord in Brazil who was decimating the wizarding population. The drills Moody taught them and reinforced would help them defend themselves in a hostile environment like Brazil. If they were able to handle a hot war like Brazil, then Moody would take them into the Balkans where wizards were playing hide and seek with the local muggles. In the détente after Grindenwald was defeated, the dark wizards were allowed to fade back into society. They were creating problems for local law enforcement. Most nations ignored it because they wanted to pretend Grindenwald never happened. Moody felt that Voldemort would have far too many willing wizards if they did not help end the cold war.

Moody hoped he had 20 seasoned aurors when he finished with this set. He doubted that any of the aurors would be the same after he finished with them.

The busiest person in Britain for the previous months was Albus Dumbledore. As he relinquished the duties and responsibilities for magical sentients in Britain and abroad, Dumbledore decided he should tell the younger generations the truth about his early years and his fight with Grindenwald so they had some reference point for their future struggle with Voldemort. He would not be able to save those who refused to listen or believe they were in imminent danger of subjugation or that their leaders would first fall victim to Voldemort's assassinations and political maneuverings. He could leave a legacy for the young leaders who arose to shoulder the weight of leadership; so the young could have an example of how difficult it is to prosecute a war where rumors were the only information that had to survive.

He'd fulfill the responsibilities he had for House Dumbledore, but he'd write his story too. Dumbledore had found a foreign publisher who could distribute his books outside of Britain. He'd let Odd Lovegood print his first book in a series for his tall tales paper, The Quibbler. The Prophet would relay the Ministry's take on Dumbledore's story, but the skeptical people who wanted to learn would have take steps to see beyond their disbelief. The Quibbler would started publishing pieces of his story before Hogwarts Spring Break. The book publisher would release the entire book on Dumbledore's early years before Hogwarts summer break. He let Abe and Gellert read his first book, The Greater Good: How differences in the means made Grindenwald possible. They had discussed what sensitive issues could not be presented, but agreed it would be the best way to preserve the magical legacy they had worked so hard to obtain.

Remus, Arthur, and the thief, Mundamus, decided the first order of business was to secure their homes and businesses against arson, thievery, a ground force assault and kidnapping. They would each need a safe house for their family and friends, a bolt hold if all plans failed, and an underground network to give people a safe passage out of Britain if the worst happened. The Order in the first war of Voldemort had been basic information network. They had their fighters, but they did not oppose Voldemort outright unless one of their members had been directly impacted. If the Order could not protect its members, the organization was going to fail part of its mission (making Britain safe for people of the light).

James Potter gave Remus one responsibility before he took his family into hiding: take James' money and create a fighting force regardless of species willing to stand against the dark. While Dumbledore sent Remus to steer werewolves away from Voldemort, James gave him the means to do it. It started small. Remus had a retreat for werewolves who did not want to join the Dark Lord. They signed a contract to keep their location, its occupants, and their benefactor secret and safe from all harm. Eventually, Remus housed three to five dens of werewolves who wanted to have better options than the Dark Lord or the British Ministry gave them. Before James' death, he and Remus incorporated their operation into a muggle company, Safe Harbor. Half the proceeds went to a muggle fund for Harry Potter and any siblings he may have. The second half went to the benefit of all the people Remus was able to save.

Remus had transformed Safe Harbor into a series of homes allowing refugees to move from place to place without being discovered until they found their final destination. Upon the Potters' deaths and Sirius imprisonment, Remus expanded Safe Harbor to foreign shores. Dumbledore refused to let him take Harry after James' death nor would he allow him to visit Harry wherever Dumbledore placed him. Remus decided the best way to honor the Potters would be to help as many people as he could. He looked for werewolves and hot spots throughout the globe. He accepted money as a part of their service, but most times he allowed people to work for Safe Harbor to give others the chance they had received. In the last ten years, his network was vast and multi-layered. He had set aside enough money aside for Harry that he should never have to worry about his finances at all. Safe Harbor had done quite well considering the nature of the service it provided.

Arthur was in between a rock and a hard place. He was the youngest brother of a large family. His father Septimus Weasley still lived and worked preserving what he could of the Weasley legacy after it had fallen into ill repute.a few generations ago. What wealth the family had was entailed to the oldest son and the rest of them had to make a way for themselves. There were so many Weasleys that he would have a difficult time corralling them to actually have an emergency plan, implement safehouses or bolt holds or even the money set aside for this purpose. Weasleys had far more pride than common sense when it came to favors because of the way they descended into ill repute.

His father could more than likely find a means to get the vast network of Weasleys to accept help, however, Arthur would have to explain his new found surplus in funds to his father. The last blowout they had was when Arthur came to his father explaining his need to get married to Molly Prewitt because he had a son on the way. His father told him one of two things would happen: he would have to give up his dreams of matching all things muggle with wizarding solutions and resent Molly or his children or he would have his dream career path but extend the Weasley shame of the Malfoy daughter left to raise the Weasley heir in shame. Arthur told him he would never do that to Molly, resolved to love his children however many he had, and pushed to reach for his ideal career even if he only was able to tinker on the weekends. Bill was almost 30. He was just now able to fully provide for their adult needs and some of their wants. He had just started on his dreams to figure out how to fuse magic to muggle conveniences. His Dad had seen far more than he.

When he thought about the House Weasley future, he knew Septimus would predict as much as 30 years into the future and set him on a whole new path. Arthur's adolescence was over long ago. He had to put away his dreams and attend to his responsibilities. When Percy was read for Hogwarts, he had to work twice as hard and take a Goblin loan to pay for all his children's future. He wanted them all to have big dreams and be able to reach them right away. He had kept his head down and made the sacrifices he needed to move his sons into a better position than he had been.

Bill and Charlie understood how great the toll was on him. The younger children had been forced to miss the influence he was able to assert on Bill and Charlie. He learned from Percy how different his childhood had been from Bill and Charlie. Molly had broken a lot of fundamental rules of Weasley tradition. In Molly's absence, Percy came home and worked with Arthur on his ambitions, learned his fathor had been working to get Percy and his siblings the things they needed and wanted, and realized what his obligation to the Weasley clan. The twins were too young to remember what Arthur's influence in the home had been. Ron and Ginny both thought that Molly made the sole binding decisions in their home. Septimus had been right about a lot of things connected to his family.

When it came to Mundamus Fletcher, it was anyone's guess as to why Dumbledore entrusted him with _any_ important task, assignment, or responsibility? Mundamus was a study of contrasts. He was like a dark wizard version of Peter Pettigrew turned to the grey light. He believed in a certain honor among thieves. He was not a big ideas man nor did he have a good coordinating sense. Mundamus did not do things for unselfish reasons. If he really became in charge of a secret organization that was going to fight the dark, he'd only devote himself to it if he made a profit in doing so. He needed to get involved with magicals he refused to get involved with Voldemort the last time. There were all kinds of illegal enterprises he could benefit from fleeing magicals. Maybe an underground protection racket, perhaps guarding heirs and closely comforting widows, or then again bringing hard to get goods and services to those unable to get them; there were plenty of ways to get ahead in the midst of pain and suffering. Dumbledore had limited his actions in the past, but he doubted Remus or Arthur would be able to stay on top of all his side ventures.


End file.
